Blossoming Love
by Fate's Princess
Summary: .:now complete:. Sesshy & Kagome. Broken hearted by Inuyasha for the last time, she turns to a wounded Sesshoumaru and sets out to help him on his quest to save Rin.
1. The Betrayal, Kikyo’s Kiss

**Note :** I have not seen the entire Inuyasha series so im not quite sure how it ends.. so im just making most of this up from what I know. **This is a Kagome and Sesshoumaru fan fic. **Why? After reading a few fan fics I've come to love this pairing and decided to make a story of my own . If you don't like this pairing, than simply don't read the story.

**Summary -** After having her heart broken by Inuyasha one too many times, Kagome runs away. She meets up with a wounded Sesshoumaru in the forest and helps him. She sets out on a quest with him. Slowly, they start developing/admitting their feelings for one another. Will Sesshoumaru open his ice cold heart for a human girl?

**Love - _Fate's Princess - _**

**Chapter 1 - The Betrayal, Kikyo's Kiss**

It felt as if she had sprouted wings and was flying in mid-air. The tingling sensation of the well's magic overcame her entire body. In mere seconds she stood in a now damp dirt. All around her, vines rose up and out of the ancient well. She could smell the fresh scent of the country already. It was so different from that of the city, a sort of calm and relaxing scent. With her, she carried her backpack full of the usual necessary supplies. It weighed quite a bit, but she had gotten used to it by now. She grabbed on to the vines and pulled them a few times to make sure they were stable enough to lift her. Slowly she climbed up the well. In a few minutes she reached the top.

Kagome sat on the edge of the well and studied her surroundings. She closed her eyes and let her ebony black hair blow in the soft breeze. She almost never had time to admire the beauty of nature around her. It was the middle of spring. All around her there were dozens of trees and flowers. Each blooming beautifully with many different colors.

It had been a few months since they had defeated Naraku. Kagome came back often to visit her friends. During the battle, the Skikon Jewel was absorbed into her body once again and she now had access to the Bone-eaters Well whenever she chose. Along with access to the well, the Jewel gave her new magical powers. She still did not know how to use them exactly, but was slowly learning.

Kagome was especially excited today about seeing Inuyasha. She thought back about what happened the previous night.

_Kagome wandered into the forest to get more fire-wood before the last bit was gone. She found herself in front of the tree Inuyasha had once been sealed to. She lifted her right hand and touched the tree in the spot where the arrow had pierced him. Kagome sighed, 'Why do you have to be such an idiot Inuyasha?' She walked beyond the tree and continued putting pieces of wood into her basket. _

_As she bent down to pick up another piece of wood, she heard a rumbling noise from one of the bushes. She quickly turned and began to look around for the cause of the noise. 'Shit! I don't have my bow and arrows with me. Hell I'd give anything to have any weapon with me.' Out of the bushes came what looked to be a bear demon. He had bright red glowing eyes, and large fangs. He started to growl menacingly at her as he approached. 'Shit! Where the hell is Inuyasha when you need him!' Kagome found herself unable to move. All she could do was stand there and look at the demon in front of her with frightened eyes. She dropped the basket of firewood and began to tremble. 'Come on Kagome, move... please.. move.' No matter how many times she told herself to move, her body gave no reaction. _

_Just as the demon was about to jump on her, she felt herself lifted off the ground. She looked up to face her savior. "Inuyasha..." is all she could say._

"_Kagome you idiot! Why did you come out here alone?" He landed behind the bear with Kagome still in his hands. _

_Kagome blushed a light shade of pink, "I...I...came..to get.. firewood." She fell to the ground, leaning against one of the trees._

"_Yeah whatever." Inuyasha took out Tetsusaiga and quickly cut through the demon. He put Tetsusagia back in its scabbard and walked over to where Kagome sat. He kneeled down on one knee and embraced her. Kagome gasped. She was in pure shock, "...Inu..Yasha..." _

"_Shhhhh," he replied as he pulled her closer. "Don't... don't you ever scare me like that again, got it?_

_Kagome pulled back a bit to look at him in the eyes and nodded. She rested her head on his shoulder and soon found her-self falling asleep. 'Maybe he does care?'_

She smiled inwardly as she got up from the rim of the well and began to walk towards Kaede's village. As she made her way through the trail in the forest, she herd voices off to the side. Without a second thought, she followed the voices. They seemed so familiar. After a few seconds, she came to an opening and stopped dead in her tracks. A few yards away from her stood Inuyasha and Kikyo. Kagome was in shock. She was close enough to hear everything that they said.

Inuyasha held Kikyo's hand in his. "Kikyo, you know that I love you. I want to be with you forever." Inuyasha embraced her, and they shared a long passionate kiss. Kagome still stood hidden behind a tree watching the event happen. When they broke the kiss, Kikyo looked at Kagome straight in the eye. Kagome told herself to run away, but she just couldn't. Kikyo looked back to Inuyasha.

"But what about that one girl?" She asked him.

"Kagome?"

Kikyo nodded. Inuyasha sighed, "She means nothing to me Kikyo. You know that." Kikyo smiled a wicked smile and they shared another kiss. By this time Kagome had tears forming in her eyes. Inuyasha broke the kiss and looked back. He could smell the salt in her tears. As he turned around, he froze. Kagome stood in front of him watching everything from a few yards away. Her knees and fists shaking, her eyes watery, a single tear ran down her cheek.

"..Ka...Kagome...I..." Inuyasha tried to reach out towards her, but she turned and ran away. "Shit!" Inuyasha turned back to face Kikyo, but she was gone. He decided to chase after Kagome.

She ran into the forest without a care in the world. She didn't care where she was going or who might be out there. All she wanted to do was put as much distance between Inuyasha and herself as possible. Her tears were flowing freely now. 'How could I have been so stupid? ... so blind...'

Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree chasing Kagome's scent when he finally spotted her. He jumped down from the tree and started to chase her.

"Kagome! Wait!" Kagome looked back to find Inuyasha behind her. 'How dare he come after me!' She began to run faster but it was no use. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop. She pulled her hand away from his quickly and laid both her hands at her sides, rolled into shaking fists. She looked down towards the ground, she didn't want to look at him in the eye.

He stood in front of her, a few feet away. "What the hell were you thinking? Are you crazy... Do you really want to get yourself killed that badly?" He scolded at her.

She stood still and said nothing. A small pool of tears was forming on the now damp ground.

Inuyasha sighed, "Kagome..." He said her name softly and soothing.

She sprung her head up at him quickly. Her eyes were red, her cheeks were stained with tears, her nose was a bit red. "HOW COULD YOU?" she screamed at him.

He walked closer to her but she pushed him away. "Im tired of it Inuyasha!" She sobbed. "All I ever do is show you how much I love you, and what do you do? You pretend to care."

Inuyasha stood still, shocked. He didn't dare say a word.

"You tell me you care one day and then break my heart another. I cant take it anymore. I'd rather be dead!"

"Kagome..." he repeated.

"NO! Don't Kagome me. Just leave me alone! Don't come after me. Don't try to comfort me. Go live with your damn dead priestess. Its obvious she loves you. You can tell by the way she try's to Kill you every time!

Kagome chuckled, "Then again, I guess me and you are kinda alike. We both want something that's never going to happen."

Kagome smiled at him, "Good bye, Inu-Yasha." She turned and started to walk away.

"Kagome! Wait!" Inuyasha took a few steps forward.

She turned her head to the side to glimpse at him. Another tear escaped her brown eye. "SIT!" Inuyasha was pushed down to the floor forming a huge crater. "Sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit siiiiiiiiiit." He soon fell unconscious.

Kagome ran into the forest once again.

- - - - - - -

A few hours later Inuyasha awoke in the crater. He looked around trying to remember where he was but his memory was blank. He looked at his surroundings and decided no one else could have done this but Kagome. Then it all came rushing back to him. Kikyo, the kiss, Kagome. 'Where the hell did she go?' There wasn't even the slightest bit of her scent in the air. 'Damn her! She could be anywhere.'

He decided it would be best to head back to the village and tell the others. He arrived at Kaede's hut and found Sango nervously pacing outside. Miroku was seated on the floor taking a nap along with Shippou.

"Inuyasha!" Sango's voice awoke Miroku and Shippou from their peaceful dreams. Kaede heard Inuyasha's name being called and stepped outside.

"Inuyasha," Kaede said, "Where is Kagome?" Everyone turned their attention towards him awaiting an answer.

"She..." he closed his eyes, "she ran away..."

"WHAT?" they all screamed in unison. Sango glared at him, "What did you do to her? Answer me!"

He looked down towards the floor and sighed. "She... saw me.. and kikyo."

They all gasped. Miroku spoke first, "...oh.." Sango went inside the hut to get her Hiraikotsu and Kirara. "Come on, we've got to go find her. She couldn't have gotten very far. They all split up. Sango, Kirara and Miroku went one way while Inuyasha went the other. Kaede decided to stay at the village incase she came back.

- - - - - -

**Hiraikotsu** is Sango's boomerang weapon.

**Tetsusaiga **is Inuyasha's weapon. Of course -

Let me know what you think


	2. Moonlight Flower, Frozen hearts

**Hamster26 - **Hehe thanks for the enthusiastic review. And you're right.. it bugs me soo much when I read a story and there are no details in it, its just so plain. So I told my self I would never write like that :)

**Jovy** - Thank you! I didn't realize I had the reviews set that way

**Last Chapter Summary - **Kagome returns to find Kikyo in the arms of Inuyasha. Her heart is broken once again. Without another thought she runs away from Inuyasha into the forest.

**Love - _Fate's Princess _**

**Chapter 2 -** **Moonlight Flower, Frozen hearts.**

She ran deeper into the forest for what seemed like hours. Her adrenaline pumping at its highest. Not even her heavy backpack slowed her down. By now she had stopped crying. Her arms and legs were beginning to ache and go numb. She stopped by a huge tree and bent over to catch her breath. She looked all around herself and saw nothing but trees. 'What have I gotten myself into this time.' After a few minutes of catching her breath, she continued to walk. The sun was beginning to set and around her it was getting hard to see. What she wouldn't give for a flashlight at this moment.

For a few minutes she continued to walk straight ahead in the darkness, almost running into trees a few times. From her left, she heard a stumbling noise and a loud 'thump.' It sounded as if someone was in pain. 'Here I go again.' She walked over to investigate what the source of the noise was. A few yards away, sitting by a tree, was the outline of a man. It was too dark for her to see who it was however. She walked over to him, a safe distance away though.

His head shot up as soon as he caught on to her scent. It seemed so familiar. Through the darkness he saw her face and remembered her instantly. It was Inuyasha's priestess with the awkward clothing.

"Hey, are you alright?" A hint of concern could be heard in her voice.

He didn't answer, nearly looked around and began to sniff the air. 'No trace of Inuyasha. Hm, that's odd.'

He looked back towards her, "Where's that damn bastard?" The moon came out from behind the clouds and it was now becoming easier to see. Kagome gasped, "Sesshoumaru?"

He didn't reply. He only looked at her with his piercing golden eyes. She ran over to him and crouched by his side. She wasn't as scared of him as she used to be when she traveled with Inuyasha. After he helped her defeat Naraku, they were on better terms. That doesn't mean he would hesitate to kill her if needed however.

She could smell the scent of fresh blood, "You're bleeding? What happened?" A look of worry came over her face.

Sesshoumaru found this rather amusing, yet confusing at the same time. With just one look at her, he could see her pouring all her emotions out. She didn't know him very well, yet she was concerned about his well-being.

"Nothing serious." The same bored look still on his face.

Kagome leaned in closer to study his wound. Sesshoumaru could smell the scent of cherry blossoms all over her. 'Mmm smells lovely. Wait! No...It does not! ... yes it does.. and you know it.' Sesshoumaru began to argue with himself. In the end he had to admit, her scent did smell rather pleasing. Kagome slowly backed away after fully inspecting his wound.

"What do you mean nothing serious? You're losing a lot of blood Sesshoumaru!"

He said nothing, only stared at her, rather bored. 'Why does she care. If it were her, I would have already left her to die... I think... YES.. yes I would have.' Kagome and Sesshoumaru had been staring at each other for quite some time. Blushing, Kagome looked away and began to search through her back pack.

Sesshoumaru found himself studying her. She had long black hair which flowed down to her waist. She had bright brown eyes, full of emotion. Her lips, 'kissable', he decided. She had a tiny frame with many visible curves. What really astonished him was her outfit. It was so inappropriate. Her legs and thighs were exposed, not that he minded, on the other hand.. he thought they looked great. 'I wouldn't mind having those legs wrapped around me.' Her skirt was tied around her waist, and her shirt clung to her chest. He studied her breasts, 'Hm, not too big, not too small. I wonder what they taste like.'

Shaking his head to snap back to reality, he noticed her pull a white box out of the weird bag. 'What am I thinking. She's a Human... A very attractive one, but still.'

Kagome opened the first aid kit and took out the Hydrogen Peroxide bottle along with some clean bandages.

"What, do you think you are doing?"

she looked up at him surprised, "Helping!"

Sesshoumaru glared at her, "Listen human. I don't need your help. Now leave before I kill you."

She put her hands at her hips, "hmpf, you kill me? You can't even move. Now, im going to help you wether you like it or not!

She leaned over him to unbuckle his armor and set it aside. Sesshoumaru blushed inwardly, he liked how her touch felt. She untied his kimono top to reveal the wound. His torso was well built and defined. The cut hadn't gone too far into his skin, but far enough. She opened the Hydrogen Peroxide bottle and pored it over the cut.

Sesshoumaru flinched, "What the hell is that for?" He looked at her demanding an answer.

Kagome put the bottle down and picked up the bandages. "Its so your wound doesn't get infected." She began to wrap the bandages around his waist and he relaxed at her touch. He let her intoxicating scent drift over him, but he wouldn't give in.

"Okay, I can do this." Her voice brought him back to reality. "Do what?" He looked towards her.

She put both of her hands a few inches above his cut and closed her eyes. In a few seconds her hands began to glow a soft white color. Sesshoumaru watched enchanted. She became more odd, yet fascinating to him every second. She opened her eyes and put her hands by her sides once again, "It should be healed by morning. I don't exactly know how to use my healing powers correctly yet."

Sesshoumaru liked her. She would prove to be a very interesting specimen. He would have killed her already for touching him if he wasn't so bored. 'And if she wasn't so pretty.' Sesshoumaru shook his head and slapped his insides for even thinking such a thought.

"So, tell me girl. What are you doing out here? And where's that bastard at?"

Kagome stood up from her place next to him and started to pick up a few pieces of wood off the floor. "First of all my name is Ka-go-me. Not girl, priestess or human! Ka-go-me." She set the wood in a small pile near Sesshoumaru. He kept his eye on her every move. "I could care less where that idiot bastard is or wether he is alive or not!" She pulled a match out of her backpack and lit it. Within seconds, the fire was starting and it was becoming easier to see. Sesshoumaru was surprised she would say such a thing. 'I thought she liked that bastard. Why I don't know. She can do so much better!... Stop thinking that!' No matted how hard he tried, Sesshoumaru found himself thinking fondly of this girl.

"Kagome, What are you doing out here?" She sighed and sat down next to him. She told him her feelings for Inuyasha and what she saw with Kikyo. Sesshoumaru didn't show a hint of concern, or even that he cared. He only sat and watched her talk. 'What an Idiot he is! Doesn't he know what he's lost?' Sesshoumaru stared cooly into the fire, "I see."

Kagome sighed, his lack of emotion was frustrating her. "I don't know where im going, and I don't have anywhere to go. I could always return to my time, but I told my mother I'd be gone for two months so no one is home."

Sesshoumaru kept staring at the fire. 'You could come and live with me, and be my mate. No! What am I thinking. Im not going to sink so low as so mate with a human.' Kagome looked over to Sesshoumaru and found him deep in thought. It was the first time she actually took the time to study him. His long white beautiful hair. It looked soft and silky, she felt a sudden erg to touch it but resisted. On both sides of his face, two maroon markings. They made him look exotic. And of course, the crescent moon on his forehead, a sign of royalty. 'He looks soooo good. My god. What are you thinking Kagome? He's a bloodthirsty heartless Youkai remember?' Him being a Youkai didn't stop her from fantasizing about how his skin would feel on top of hers.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing out here? And wounded non the less?" She took on a motherly tone. Sesshoumaru looked at her and smiled for a second. Had Kagome not been looking at him, she would have missed it. 'Did he smile?'

Sesshoumaru was deciding wether to tell her his reason for being out here or not. 'Why does she care? Its none of her business. Come one! She told you her story, why cant you tell her why you're out here? Because! She's a human girl! So...' He sighed, "Im out here looking for the Lucine Blossom."

Kagome blinked three times, "Lucine.. Blossom? What's that?"

"It's also called the Moonlight flower. It only Blossoms during the moonlight.. its... its for Rin." Kagome gasped, "Rin? What's wrong? What happened to her? Is she okay?" Sesshoumaru shook his head, "No. She seems to have come down with a disease and I've been told this flower is the only cure." He looked back towards the fire.

'How sweet. He really does care about that little girl. Maybe his hearts not all frozen.' "Oh.. poor Rin. I wish there was something I could do?"

Sesshoumaru turned his head towards her, "Why? Why do you care so much about something that is none of your business?" His tone loud and demanding. Kagome looked hurt, and that made Sesshoumaru's heart beat a little faster. "It doesn't matter that its none of my business. I..I don't like to see people in pain. After all... I must have been given these powers for something.. right?"

Sesshoumaru said nothing for a while. An awkward silence overcame both of them. "I have another problem." He closed his eyes, "Only... only someone holy can pick the flower." Kagome grinned and stood up. "Then its settled." She got her sleeping bag out of her backpack and set it on the ground. "What's settled... girl?" He added the last part in just to irritate her.

"I'm coming with you. I'll pick the flower and help Rin. I have the Shikon No Tama in me, cant get more holy than that." She chuckled.

Sesshoumaru said nothing for a few minutes. He thought about what her presence would be like. 'I shouldn't allow her to come. She could get killed or hurt... I cant let that happen. What am I thinking... I.. I don't care if she gets hurt or not. But.. I must get this flower for Rin or she'll die.'

"Very well," he finally said, "We should arrive at the location of the flower in a few days." Kagome said nothing. She snuggled into her sleeping bag and dozed off to sleep. Sesshoumaru watched her every movement. Her hair was spread out over the sleeping bag and her expression was a peaceful one. 'Beautiful..' he thought. The light of the fire cast and enchanting glow over her. Sesshoumaru soon found himself falling asleep, with thoughts of Kagome in his mind.

- - - - - -

Miroku and Sango searched the forest from above on Kirara. "Nothing," sighed Sango. They had been searching for her for a couple hours now. It was much to dark to see anything. "I think we should go back and search in the morning." Miroku looked towards Sango. Although she didn't want to, she knew he was right. It would be Impossible to find her at this hour. "Very well." Sango ordered Kirara to turn around and they headed back for Kaede's village.

Inuyasha stood in front of the Bone-eaters Well. He searched through the forest for hours but found nothing. He gave up and decided to come back to the village. As he ran back, he came across the well. Dozens of memories started to flush through him again. Happy times with Kagome, sad times. 'Im sorry kagome.' He sighed and pick up a growing flower on the side of the well. He stared at it for a few seconds. 'I hope you are doing well and you haven't gotten yourself in much trouble again.' He smiled a sad smile and threw the flower into the well. He had to admit to himself, he did love Kagome. Just.. not in the way she wanted him to love her. He couldn't tell her the truth because he knew it would break her heart. 'What does it matter, I keep breaking it wether I tell her the truth or not.' He turned around and began to run towards the village again.


	3. An angels touch, Im sorry

**Note :** Thanks for all the great reviews everyone . And **E.csi **thank you. I didn't realize I had the wrong name of the weapon.

**Last Chapter Summary -** Kagome meets up with Sesshoumaru while walking through the forest. She finds him wounded and helps him out. She tells him of everything that happened with Inuyasha and Kikyo. He tells her of the flower he needs to find in order to save Rin's life. Kagome decides to go on the journey for the flower with him since she has no where else to go.

**Love - _Fate's Princess _**

**Chapter 3 -** **An angels touch, Im sorry.**

The rays of the rising sun pierced through the dark sky and brought the new day about. As the light hit Sesshoumaru, he awakened. He had slept well that night, although he couldn't seem to keep Kagome off his mind. He stretched a bit and looked around. The fire had gone out, a small cloud of smoke was left rising towards the sky. Kagome was still asleep, snuggled in her sleeping bag. All around her, the world was awaking. The birds were chirping, and teaching their young how to fly. Squirrels were hunting for acorns, bears were catching fish in the streams. Kagome, seemed immune to all of this. As the world kept turning, she stood still as if stuck in a dream. This made her all the more interesting to Sesshoumaru. As soon as she awoke though, she was life itself. He saw her fidget in her sleeping bag and open one eye. The first thing he noticed was a huge smile on her face. 'Why? Why is she always so damn happy? I thought she had her heart broken just yesterday.'

She had a certain effulgence to her. All around her, she sent out rays of happiness. Sesshoumaru watched in awe as the angel from heaven awoke and yawned. She stretched and looked over to where he was. Her bright brown eyes shining in the sunlight. Now that he saw her during the daylight, he admitted she looked all the more beautiful. "Morning." She stood up and walked over to where he was. Sesshoumaru said nothing. He sat still and watched as her rays engulfed him. She crouched next to him and started to inspect his wounds. The feel of her touch brought him back to reality.

He grabbed her hand rather tightly. "What do you think you are doing human?" She looked down to where he held her hand and blushed. At the thought of his comment however, she withdrew her hand away and glared at him. "Im trying to help! I cant help you if you're a stubborn ass! Now shut up and let me check your wounds." Both Kagome herself and Sesshoumaru where surprised by her reaction. 'I cant believe I said that. He could kill me.' They were still staring at each other. 'Hm, interesting. That's the first time anyone has ever spoken to me like that. I should kill her. I cant... I can.. im just bored.. I can... I can kill her. Cant I?' Sesshoumaru said nothing, only kept staring. She took his silence as an "okay."

She leaned over him and began to unwrap his bloody bandages. As she removed them, both her and Sesshoumaru were in shock. There was no wound, no scar, nothing. It disappeared. "What did you do to me girl?" He asked himself that question not only for his missing wound, but for the way he was feeling. 'What _has_ she done to me?'

"I wish I knew..." She looked down at her hands, still in shock. 'Maybe these powers are a good thing.' She got up from her place next to him and walked over to her sleeping back. She picked up the sleeping bag and folded it once again. Before putting it back into her backpack, she took out an energy bar. It had been quite a while since she had anything to eat. She looked over towards Sesshoumaru. The same bored look was still on his face as he seemed to be deep in thought. "Would you like something to eat?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her. She was holding what seemed to be a weird looking stick. "No." He watched in amazement as she took off the sticks cover and a new texture arose. She took a bite of the bar and began to chew. Sesshoumaru didn't understand how she was able to eat twigs, but he decided to not question her.

"Whatever." She took another bite of the bar and set it down to put her sleeping bag into her backpack.

"So, where are we going?" Sesshoumaru stood up and began to put on his armor once again. Kagome blushed as she thought of his well built chest. She remembered the feel of his skin as she treated his wounds

"We are headed north to the Village of Chandra." Kagome picked up her backpack and began to walk over to Sesshoumaru. "How long will it take?" She had never heard of the Village of Chandra, but surely it couldn't be too far away. "3 to 5 days." Kagome didn't say anything. She only followed him as they begun their journey.

As Kagome thought of something to say, she studied his hair. It was a beautiful silver color, and silky looking. 'How does he keep it like that.' Kagome had a sudden erg to ask him, but she refrained. It might have made their situation even more awkward. "Why do you hate Inuyasha so much?" Kagome asked without thinking. The mention of his name made her shiver. 'Why did I ask that? Stupid, stupid, STUPID!' Kagome could not see his expression at this moment but she pictured it to be the same bored look as always. She had once herd someone refer to him as the prince of ice. Now she understood what they meant. 'Other than the occasional anger, he never shows a trace of emotion. And if he does, its gone in a few seconds. How irritating.'

Sesshoumaru took in Kagome's question. He thought it over and over again. 'Why do I hate Inuyasha?' He knew why, but he wasn't about to blurt it out to this worthless human. After a few minutes he finally replied. "That..." there was a long pause. He looked over his shoulder at her, his golden eyes piercing through her once again. She shivered from his look. "Is none of your business." He turned back around as if nothing had happened. Kagome felt even more stupid after his answer. 'I guess I have no right to pry into his private life.' "Im sorry." She looked down to her feet and watched them move automatically forward.

Sesshoumaru stopped but she didn't notice. Still looking at the ground, she bumped into him and fell to the ground. "Why?" he said cooly. No one had ever apologized to him the way she had. Usually apologies for him were out of fear, but not hers. To him it felt as if she thought she had offended him. Kagome blinked her eyes a few times. "What do you mean why?" She got up from the ground and dusted herself off.

"Why did you tell me you were sorry?"

Kagome smiled a sweet smile at him, "Because I don't think before I speak. I had no right to ask you such a question. It was none of my business and I am sorry for asking it. I did not mean to offend you."

Sesshoumaru looked at her, trying to take in everything she said. 'Humans are so confusing.' He turned around and kept walking. "You did not offend me."

Kagome stood in the same spot confused. 'What was with his sudden reaction?' After she realized she was being left behind, she quickly jogged up to him. "You know.. it wouldn't kill you to say 'im sorry' every now and then. You knocked me to the ground and said nothing. Where I come from that is considered very rude!" She sounded annoyed. A small grin appeared on his face, but no one saw. "I did not knock you to the ground as you put it. You were the one who bumped into me."

"Hmpf, well it was still rude!" This is not the type of conversation Kagome had in mind, but it was better than nothing. They continued to head north throughout the entire day. Kagome didn't mind all the walking, she was used to it from when she collected Jewel shards. She missed those days. She thought of Sango, Miroku, and Shippou. 'I wish I could have said something to them when I arrived. I miss them.' She spent most of the day thinking and studying her surroundings. She often thought of Sesshoumaru. She tried to come up for an explanation as to why he was the way he was. 'Face it, he just has no heart and enjoys killing.' That seemed to be the most probable explanation, but Kagome seemed to think otherwise. 'Sure, he seems to enjoy killing. But... maybe he's sad? Lonely. If I were him I would get lonely often. He looks... sad. I wish there was something I could do.'

Kagome knew he was lonely. He'd never show it, but she could tell. She didn't want him to be lonely, she wanted him to smile. The sun was beginning to set. Kagome stopped for a second to admire the colors of the sky. 'Yellows, reds, purples...' She distinguished the different colors in the sky. Sesshoumaru looked back to find Kagome staring at the sky. He smiled. The glow of the setting sun upon her, her hair blowing in the wind, her careless expression of joy. To him, she was truly an angel on earth. "Hurry up!" He said coldly. Kagome ran to catch up with him and they continued walking.

After another hour, the sun was completely gone and the moon was out. It was once again hard to see. Kagome had stumbled over quite a few tree roots by now. She watched Sesshoumaru as he walked. He looked as if he was floating on air. Such grace and poise. Sesshoumaru found Kagome having a hard time keeping up with him and he decided to stop. They were by an opening next to a small lake. "We'll rest here for tonight." Kagome instantly dropped her bag and fell to the floor. 'Thank god! I thought I was going to die.' She looked over to the lake, 'Hm.. maybe I'll be able to take a quick bath.' She looked over to Sesshoumaru. She didn't quite trust him, but for a bath, she decided to take her chances.

"Hey Sesshoumaru.." Sesshoumaru was taking his armor off. 'Why does he even wear that?'

"Hm." Replied Sesshoumaru.

"Umm... would... um.. would you mind if I go take a bath?" She was blushing a light shade of pink. Sesshoumaru sat on the ground by a tree. He didn't understand her question. "No?" Kagome laughed nervously, "Okay... great.." They stared at each other for a few minutes. "Well?" She finally said. "Shouldn't you be going?"

"Why?" Sesshoumaru was left dumbfounded. "Because! Im going to take a bath. Its not like im just going to bathe with you watching me!"

Sesshoumaru stood up and began to walk into the forest. "Believe me girl. There is nothing to look at." 'Yes there is... there is plenty to look at. I want to look at you. I want to touch you. I want to hold you.' Sesshoumaru was soon giving in to his lustful thoughts.

Kagome didn't take his last comment too seriously. She was quite annoyed with him however. 'What a jerk!' She walked over next to the lake, along with her backpack. She pulled out her soap, shampoo and a towel and laid them on the bag. She quickly undressed and jumped into the lake. 'Oh.. this feels so good.' She washed herself everywhere taking off all the dirt from the previous day. As she put the shampoo in her hair, she thought of Sesshoumaru. 'What if he's watching me right now? He has good eyes right? ..nah... he wouldn't do that. Would he?' Dismissing the thought, she dove into the water once again and rinsed her hair. She laid back on a rock and relaxed a bit. 'I wonder how everything is going at home. I...I.. Want Sesshoumaru to be here with me right now...' Kagome blushed. 'What am I thinking... I don't care about him. I...I don't..'

She got out of the lake and dried herself off with the towel. She pulled out a sleeping gown from her backpack. 'Thank god I brought this along. That uniform is so uncomfortable to sleep in.' Making sure no one was around, she let the towel drop and she quickly slipped into the gown.

Sesshoumaru felt he had given her enough time and decided to walk back. When he arrived, he stopped dead in his tracks. A few yards away from him was Kagome, her back facing him. She had just finished pulling her gown up to her lower back when he got there. 'She has a lovely back...' Sesshoumaru watched her every move attentively. She pulled the straps of the gown over her shoulder, and most of her back was now covered by it. Sesshoumaru gulped. It was a light white color, a bit transparent in the parts where it was wet from her hair. His heart began to beat a little faster. The gown hugged her body in all the right places.

Kagome walked over to the lake and packed up her things. She quickly turned around when she heard someone behind her. Sesshoumaru walked out of the woods and took his place by a tree once again. Kagome gasped, "How long have you been there?"

"Don't worry. I just got here." Kagome couldn't tell wether he was telling the truth or not, but decided to let it go. She pulled out her sleeping bag and set it a few feet away from Sesshoumaru. She took out a brush from her backpack and sat on her sleeping bag. Sesshoumaru watched her fondly as she brushed her hair. The light from the moon made it seem as if she was glowing. As a soft wind passed by, Sesshoumaru caught a sniff of her scent. It smelt even better than before. Her smell was truly intoxicating to him. Kagome saw him staring at her from the corner of her eye, but said nothing. Sesshoumaru thought of jumping on her, ripping her clothes off and making her his at this very moment, but resisted. 'It wouldn't be right to do such a thing with a filthy human. ... and... I.. I wouldn't want to hurt her.' He shook his head and looked up at the moon.

- - - - -

Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Shippou searched for Kagome all day, but there was still no trace of her. They all had an expression of worry on their face. All, except Inuyasha. He really had no expression on his face at all. There was no hint of worry, sadness, or happiness.

Deep down, Inuyasha was very worried about her, but he knew Kagome could take care of herself when she needed to. 'Besides, she'll come back. She always comes back.'

"Inuyasha? Im really worried about her. She could be in danger, or worse." Sango stared at him and waited for an answer.

Inuyasha looked away from her and up to the sky. "She's fine." Sango's face became red with anger. "How can you be so damn calm? Kagome could be dead!"

'She's not.' Inuyasha didn't reply. He kept looking up towards the sky at the setting sun.

Miroku walked over to Sango and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him and he shook his head as if telling her to calm down. "Maybe she went back to her time?" Miroku looked towards Inuyasha for any sign of emotion.

'She didn't. I would have felt it.' He turned around and commenced to walk into the forest. "Maybe."

- - - - - - -

Kagome had a hard time sleeping that night. Her mixed feelings kept her from sleeping. She was thinking of Inuyasha. Just the thought of his name made her sink a little lower in her own pool of sorrow. She looked over to her side and noticed Sesshoumaru asleep. The soft moonlight on his skin made him seem supernatural. He looked like such an innocent little child. Kagome had to admit, she had developed some feeling for Sesshoumaru. 'Not love, no not love. I cant love him... can I?' She thought of how Sesshoumaru was so cold towards others. He'd close the door in their face and never let anyone get near him. He had no feelings. 'What about Rin?' Kagome thought about how Sesshoumaru saved Rin's life, and was now on a quest to save it once again. 'He really does have feelings... I..I... I could love him.'

Dismissing the thought, she carefully stood up from her sleeping bag. She kept her eyes on Sesshoumaru for any sign of movement. She didn't want to wake him. She carefully made her way over to the lake. 'Maybe a walk will help me clear my mind.' She walked by the shore of the lake. The rays of the moon made the water glitter a soft white color. Without noticing, she had wandered away from the camp site. She didn't think too much of it though. As she kept trying to sort out her feelings, she heard the sound of a twig snapping behind her.

She quickly turned around. "Sesshoumaru? Is that you?" She squinted trying to look for any sign of a figure. When she finally found one, she gasped and took a few steps back. What she saw, was not Sesshoumaru. It looked like a werewolf in some ways, but not completely. She noticed it had large fangs coming out from its mouth. Drool dripping from them. It had large pointed fingernails, dripping with blood. Kagome's body began to shake. She tried to scream, but no voice came out. The demon took a few steps closer to her. She saw him more clearly in the moonlight. His body wasn't as harry as a werewolves. He had long black hair that reached down to his hips. His eyes were a red color. On his right cheek he had three red stripes.

He growled at her. Kagome did the first thing she thought of. She picked up a large rock and threw it at him. The demon growled even louder and knocked her down to the ground with one quick thrust of his arm. Kagome was still in shock.

Sesshoumaru awoke to loud growling noises. He looked over to his side and noticed Kagome was gone. 'Shit!' He quickly got up and ran in the direction of her scent. 'Hold on kagome.'

As the demon was about to strike, Kagome closed her eyes. After a few seconds of nothing happening, she opened her eyes. In front of her stood Sesshoumaru. His sword was jabbed in the middle of the demons stomach. Sesshoumaru withdrew the sword and the demon stumbled back in pain. '... he... he saved me.' Kagome's eyes were glittering with emotion. Sesshoumaru fell to the ground on one knee soon after he pulled out the sword. With his free hand, he held on to his side. 'Damn!' Kagome looked in the direction of his hand. Blood. 'Oh no! He's bleeding.' A tear escaped her eye. 'Its all my fault.'

At the scent of salt, Sesshoumaru reacted. "Don't cry." Her eyes only began to water more. He turned his head around to face her and smiled. He hated tears. Kagome looked past him to the demon. The demon got up and began to charge at Sesshoumaru. Kagome gasped. Sesshoumaru turned his head to watch the demon coming his way. 'Shit... I cant move.' Before Sesshoumaru attempted to do something, he saw Kagome run in front of him. 'Is she crazy? What is she doing?'

Kagome began to glow a soft white color. In a quick flash, a wave of light was released from her body blinding both the demon and Sesshoumaru for a few seconds. The demon stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. When Sesshoumaru finally got his vision back, he gasped at what he saw. Now in front of him was Kagome with angel wings coming out from her back. They were the purest color of white he had ever seen. Their glow was truly enchanting. "Kagome..." he whispered. His eyes began to glitter.

The demon was now up once again, and ready to charge. Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome lifted one hand in front of herself. She turned her head quickly to glance at him. He saw a tear escape her eye and fly off with the wind. She turned back to face the demon. A bright beam of energy came from her hand. It was a soft white-pink color. The demon shielded his eyes from the beam as it came in contact with him. The demon growled in pain. In a few seconds he was reduced to nothing but ash. Sesshoumaru was still in shock. 'Where did this power come from? Why does she have wings? I thought she was human?'

The beam disappeared and Kagome turned around to face Sesshoumaru. Both their eyes glittered as they locked. She smiled a sad smile. "Im... Im.. sorry." Sesshoumaru blinked. 'She said it again. Why? She has nothing to be sorry about.' In another wave of bright light Kagome's Wings disappeared. Sesshoumaru caught her as she fell to the ground unconscious. He looked down towards his wound. It was gone. He looked back at the Unconscious Kagome in his arms. Her expression was a troubled one.

Sesshoumaru leaned in and kissed her forehead gently. "Don't be sorry Kagome." He picked her up in both his arms and started to walk back to the camp site. "You did well." He smiled down at the now peaceful expression on her face.

- - - - -

**Soooo what do you think? 'grin' I really like this chapter :) **


	4. Hold me, I think im in love

Morning:). Hehe.. im really glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter.And now, chapter 4.. Enjoy :)** 'sigh' so much drama. Hehehe :)**

**Last Chapter Summary -** Kagome Sprouts her wings. She was being attacked by a demon. Sesshoumaru rushed to her rescue but got wounded in the process. With the demon still alive and Sesshoumaru hurt, Kagome defends Sesshoumaru. She releases the power of the Shikon jewel in herself to kill the demon.

**Love - _Fate's Princess _**

**Chapter 4 -** **Hold me, I think im in love**

There was a full moon out tonight. Inuyasha awoke in the middle of the night. A look of shock came over his face. 'What the hell was that?' He looked around from his current position in a tree. 'Nothing.' Just a few seconds ago Inuyasha had felt a gigantic surge of energy. 'It was so powerful.' Just the thought of its intensity made his heart race. 'I've felt that energy somewhere before...' It was a very familiar feeling to him but he couldn't quite make out its source.

Inuyasha looked over to his left and noticed Miroku and Kirara come out from the hut. 'Did he feel it too?' Miroku looked up to the sky as if expecting something to fly down and attack him. Nothing. Sweat was dripping down the side of his face. His pupils smaller than usual out of shock. 'What in God's name was that?'

Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and walked over to where Miroku stood. "So," he started, "You felt it too huh?" Miroku didn't respond, he only nodded. After a few minutes, he looked toward Inuyasha. His expression of shock was gone, a serious look now took its place. "Do..." he wasn't sure how to ask the question, "do... do you think.. it..it was.." Before Miroku could finish his sentence Inuyasha headed back to his tree. "Yes.." he whispered.

Miroku looked frustrated. "Well... shouldn't we follow it and see if she's alright." Inuyasha shook his head. "If she wanted to be with us, she would have been back by now. Let her be Miroku." Miroku was taken back by Inuyasha reply. 'Surely I thought Inuyasha of all people would be worried about Kagome's safety.'

Inuyasha couldn't decide wether to go to the source of the energy he had just felt. He was almost certain it was her power. He felt that same energy every time she shot an arrow, just not as powerful. 'At least I know she'll be able to defend herself.' He looked up towards the moon. It had a brighter glow this night than every other night. He shut his eyes as he waited for Miroku to head back inside. He was going to go. He had to see her and make sure everything was alright. He wasn't planning on trying to convince her to come back with him, he just had to see her.

A few minutes had passed since Miroku headed back inside. Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and began to run into the forest. He was headed to the north in the direction of the energy. He ran as fast as he could, he knew he only had a few hours before she would probably begin to move again. He thought of Kagome as a sister to him. He wished he could be more for her to heal her heart. But he couldn't. There was only one woman he loved. Most people told him to forget about her. It was 50 years ago, and she was dead.. sort of. But to him, it wasn't 50 years. All those years he was sealed, it felt as if he was stuck in a time capsule. He had no sense of time. From the second Kikyo sealed him to when Kagome released him no time had passed for him. It was just like a blink of the eye. All those emotions he had for Kikyo were still intact. It was not an easy task to just give up and forget. No matter how similar Kagome was to kikyo, the fact still stood. 'She's not her.'

He had been sprinting through the forest for what seemed to be an hour now. His legs were getting tired, but he continued. 'I have to hurry. Im almost there... I can feel it.' He still had two hours until the sun rose. This gave him plenty of time.

When he finally arrived at the source of the energy, he stopped dead in his tracks. 'Are my eyes defying me?' Surely he had to be mistaken and this was all a huge misunderstanding. In front of him was a sleeping Kagome. She was not alone however. The one person Inuyasha hated the most was there with her. Even more surprising was their position. Sesshoumaru held Kagome cradled in his arms. Her head was rested gently on his chest. Inuyasha studied their expressions. Neither of them seemed to be there by force. Kagome looked the same as always, happy and careless. What really brought a shiver to his back was Sesshoumaru's expression. 'He...he... he looks... happy?' Had it been anyone else, Inuyasha would have left and let her be. Even if it were Kouga, he would have left. Not Sesshoumaru though. He couldn't leave her alone with him. He didn't trust him.

He decided to keep an eye on her for the rest of the night. 'Hopefully Sesshoumaru wont catch on to my scent until later.' He sat on a tree branch, a safe distance from them, but close enough to keep watch.

- - - - -

By the time Kagome awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. How long it had been there, she did not know. She took a moment to adjust her vision before looking around. As she looked to her side, she almost screamed in shock. She was being held by two strong arms. 'Did I sleep on Sesshoumaru?' Kagome blushed a deep shade of pink. 'What the hell happened last night?' She looked down at her body, clothes were still there. 'Couldn't have been anything _like that_.' Kagome blushed even deeper as certain thoughts danced in her head. Shaking her head back to reality she looked up. Her brown eyes where met by two beautiful golden ones. "Morning."

She couldn't think of anything to say back to him. 'Um morning! You are a very comfortable person. By the way.. did we do anything inappropriate last night?... not that I mind.' The only sound that came from her mouth was, "umm" Sesshoumaru smiled. He stood up with her still in his arms and walked over to her sleeping bag. He laid her down gently on it and sat in front of her, Indian style. "Did you sleep well last night?" Kagome blushed once again at the thought of sleeping in his arms. 'Wonderful...' Dreamy thoughts floated through her head. Kagome said nothing however, only nodded. Sesshoumaru watched her attentively. He found the slight blush on her face rather adorable. "Do you remember anything that happened last night?"

Kagome began to search through her memories for events from last night. It came back to her slowly. 'There was a demon...and Sesshoumaru got hurt... and I.. I jumped in front of him.'

"A little bit." She responded after a few minutes.

Sesshoumaru nodded, "Do you remember... the wings?" Kagome looked at him dumbfounded. 'Wings? What wings?' She then thought of the Shikon jewel. Just as she jumped in front of Sesshoumaru, she remember it tried to release its energy. She let it.

Kagome shook her head. "I remember jumping in front of you, and the demon coming. Then all of a sudden, I panicked and the Shikon jewel reacted. After that, my mind went blank." Sesshoumaru sighed. Should he tell her? She became the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Those glorious white wings, and her magical glow.

"You... you sprouted wings. White angel wings. And.. you killed the demon with a blast from your palm." Kagome looked down at her hands. 'I killed the demon? I... I had wings?' Kagome could understand the demon part, but wings? She never remembered being told of the jewel doing such a thing.

"I don't understand though. You told me the jewel reacted when you jumped in front of me. Why didn't it react when your life was in danger before?" Kagome took in his question. She knew why. She closed her eyes. When she panicked, she wasn't afraid for her life. She was afraid for his. Could she tell him this though. 'No.'

"Because... I...I... I just... don't know." She looked away from him. Looking him in the eye would have surely made her break down and tell him the truth. She hated lying, but would saying that admit her feelings? 'What feelings... there are none...' Another lie.

Sesshoumaru grabbed her hand and held it gently in his. Kagome turned her head and looked at him than down at their hands. "Kagome.." he said gently. A familiar feeling started to rush back to her. 'This is just like... like...' Before Kagome could finish her thought, Sesshoumaru spoke. "Kagome. I'm not him." Kagome looked up at him, her eyes glittering. 'How did he know what I was thinking? Maybe there is something grand behind those shut doors of his heart.'

"I... I wasn't afraid for my life." He looked at her, a bit confused, "So it didn't react because you were not afraid for your life?"

She nodded. "The second time...I.. I was afraid..."

"For your life?"

Kagome shook her head, her eyes still glittering. "No. For... for your life." Sesshoumaru was in shock by her answer. 'The jewel reacted because she was worried about me? Does she really care about me that much?' Kagome couldn't look up at him. She didn't want to see his reaction. Would she be rejected? "Kagome..." Sesshoumaru whispered. Kagome had once been told that if she did not learn to take control of the jewel, it would take control of her. 'Is that what it did last night...I.. I don't want that.' She was told to keep her heart stable as the jewel was now a part of it. If it noticed a disturbance it would take over and make everything stable once again under its power. 'This is all Inuyasha fault... No... no its not. This is all your fault. Its your fault for being an idiot.'

"The jewel," she whispered, "it wants to take control of me. It.. it feels my heart is not stable enough for it." She started to sob, "Im... im scared.." Sesshoumaru was deeply confused. He wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. He wanted to be with her always but he couldn't. He wasn't strong enough. He was afraid. Afraid of losing her, afraid... afraid of loving her. 'I cant love her. I cant hurt her. Im not strong. If I were... I would have killed her long ago.

'You love him...' her brain whispered to her. 'No...no... I...I cant. I love his brother...no... I hate him. I'll be alone forever.' She looked up at him, a tear escaped one of her eyes. He wanted to reach out with his hand and wipe it off her face. He didn't.

Watching in a tree nearby, Inuyasha was consumed by rage. 'He touched her. He made her cry..' He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he assumed it was all Sesshoumaru fault. 'No its not.. its your fault.'

Just as Sesshoumaru was about to say something to Kagome, he felt a presence. It was Inuyasha's scent. 'Damn! Why didn't I sense it before.' Sesshoumaru could sense the anger in the air. 'This is the last thing she needs.' Sesshoumaru put her hands down gently and stood up. "Excuse me for a second," he said. Kagome's heart skipped a beat. This is what she had been waiting for. He was going to leave and never come back. He was probably secretly laughing through all of this.

Sesshoumaru walked straight into the forest. When he was sure he was a safe distance where Kagome couldn't see him, he looked up towards the trees. "Inuyasha," he said, "Come out. I know you're there." Inuyasha cursed. 'Damn. He found me.' He jumped down from a tree and landed in front of Sesshoumaru. "What the hell did you do to her?" he demanded. Sesshoumaru looked at him, a hint of boredom in his face. "I have done nothing."

"Yeah right! Then why the hell is she crying? And why was she sleeping with you this morning?" His face was red from anger. Sesshoumaru remained calm. He had no time to waste on this. "I believe you know very well why she is crying. As to why she was sleeping with me, that is none of your concern. Leave us be. She does not wish to see you." Inuyasha knew why, but he didn't want to admit it. 'Its all your fault! Its your fault!' his brain taunted him.

"Listen you bast..." Inuyasha was cut off by Sesshoumaru turning around and walking back to where he came from. "I have no time to waste on you. Leave now or I shall be forced to kill you." As if expecting the question, Sesshoumaru turned his head to glance at his younger brother. "I will no harm her in any way." He continued to walk forward and was soon out of sight.

Inuyasha stood there trying to take in everything Sesshoumaru told him. 'She hates you. Get over it.' He knew even if he tried to talk to her, she would turn away. With one last glance at her from above the trees, Inuyasha headed back to the village. 'She doesn't want to see me. Fine. Ill leave her be.'

- - - - -

Back at the campsite, Kagome had never felt so alone. She was letting sorrow consume her once again. Her shining light was gone. Sesshoumaru had now been gone for a few minutes but she felt naked without him. She didn't expect him to come back, but he did. She watched as he came out of the forest and once again sat by her. She was deeply confused. "You.. came back?" she blurted out before she had any time to think it over.

Sesshoumaru blinked, he was a bit confused. "Why would I not?" Kagome shook her head and smiled. "Never mind." She seemed a bit calmer now than before. He was glad.

She stood up quickly, "Well.." Her tone was perky. Sesshoumaru was amused at how quickly her mood could change. "Are we going or not?" Sesshoumaru got up and walked over to put on his armor. He nodded. She walked over to her backpack and packed up all her belongings. As he turned back to face her, he noticed she was still in the same skimpy night gown. "You're not going to wear that are you?" 'I hope so.' Kagome looked down at what she was wearing. She found it much more comfortable than her former attire. "Sure, why not?" He blushed inwardly. Her outfit revealed a lot of her, which he loved to look at. "No reason," he replied. Shrugging, Kagome walked over to where Sesshoumaru was. She leaned over his shoulder to pull a leaf out of his hair. His blush surfaced as a light pink color. "What are you..." She took the leaf out and studied it in her hands. "You had this in your hair. I thought I'd take it out for you." She didn't notice him blushing. She looked his way, closed her eyes for a few seconds and smiled.

She held her hand up to the sky, and released the leaf. She watched it fly away towards the lake. Sesshoumaru watched amused. 'Gods, help me. I think... I think im...' He couldn't even think it. "Come on." His tone was strong. He began to walk into the forest and Kagome followed happily behind. 'He didn't leave me...he didn't.'


	5. Burning hearts, Confessions

Hi there again! Im sorry I couldn't update sooner. This past week of school has been overly busy. Now that it's the weekend, I'll probably be able to come up with 2 or 3 more chapters for this story. Im really having a fun time coming up with it. I hope you guys are also enjoying it. And hey, there might be a hurricane headed this way, so I'll be able to work even more on it... Florida's evil..lol

As to the reviews, thank you sooo much. Im glad you guys like the story 'smiles' More Sesshy and Kagome moments will be added as their relationship develops, especially in the next three chapters.. so don't worry.

**Last Chapter Summary -** Inuyasha feels the energy that exploded from Kagome. He decides to follow it to her and make sure everything is alright. When he gets there he finds Kagome with Sesshoumaru and is enraged. After a short conversation with Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha is convinced to head back to the village and leave Kagome alone. Kagome reveals her secret of the Shikon jewel to Sesshoumaru (how its trying to take over her body).

**Love - _Fate's Princess _(your lord and master... hehe :) )**

**Chapter 5 - Burning hearts, Confessions**

Kagome dawdled along slowly behind Sesshoumaru. There was no need to be in too much of a hurry. It was a beautiful day today. The sky was the most brilliant shade of blue she had seen in a long time. She thought back to when she was a small child of 10 years. She sat outside of the temple on a small hill. Around her, she was surrounded by a small field of dandelions. She remembered, as the wind blew, some of them flew away from their stems to join the wind. She laid down in them that day, staring up at the sky. It was a beautiful light blue color. There weren't too many clouds in the sky, but just enough. She stared up at them, and tried to see what shapes they resembled. 'An...elephant...a duck...a puppy.' She sat there for hours just making shapes of the clouds. Every now and then, she would spot a bird fly across the clouds. She could only see its dark silhouette however. She missed those days. She had no worries in her life, nothing to be sad over, except the occasional visit to the dentist.

Looking back down from the sky and towards Sesshoumaru, she watched his hair swing back and forth. It seemed to put her in a trance. His silver locks glowed a white shining color in the sunlight. She watched as he moved slowly, one foot in front of the other. Arms to his sides. Head held up high. 'So much grace.' Even back in her childhood days, when she was rather happy, she remembered being alone. She didn't have many friends at school until she started high school. Her evenings were usually spent at the temple gardens doing nothing. It soothed her in a way she could not explain. Sesshoumaru did the same. Since she started to travel with him, she's felt the same way she had before. Only, she wasn't alone anymore.

Sesshoumaru seemed cold sometimes and he often remained away from her, but she liked the company. She had seen his sympathetic side. 'There was something there after all.' Without thinking of it, she was comparing Sesshoumaru to herself. A long time ago, she remembered, he was always alone. He traveled day and night through his lands alone. 'It must have been horrible.' Kagome knew the feeling. Even when she was surrounded by a bunch of friends, she would feel more alone than ever. They were both bound to live forever. Or at least she would. She remembered one of the side effects of the jewel was immortality. This did not mean she could not be killed, it just meant she would not age. It had only been a while since the jewel had come into her. Wether the immortality was a fact, she did not know yet. She felt the same, but different in someways. As thoughts of the jewel drifted into her mind, she remembered what Kaede had told her that day.

_Kagome's head began to ache. She opened her eyes to find her vision rather blurry. Blinking a few times, she tried to recall what had just happened and where she was. As she looked around, she spotted a familiar setting. It was Kaede's hut. Sitting up in one quick motion, she looked around for the enemy. Just a few seconds ago, or so she thought, she had shot an arrow straight to Naraku's heart. This arrow she shot was different however. It was more powerful in many ways. Mixed along with the Tetsusaiga's attack, she watched as it headed straight for him_. _He did not have enough time to move away, it hit. A bright flash surrounded the scene, and Kagome went blank. The next thing she knew, she had awoken here. _

'_Where's Naraku? Did we defeat him?' So many questions passed through her mind. She got up from the mat and walked over to the entrance of the hut. Pulling aside the curtains, she was blinded by the bright sunshine. Adjusting her vision, she spotted the whole group sitting outside talking. 'Thank god they're all alright. They must know what happened.' As she took one step towards them, she felt a sharp pain come to her chest. She clutched on to her shirt and fell to her knees. Breathless, she watched as they all ran towards her, fear in their eyes. _

_Inuyasha carried her back inside and set her on the mat. Her breathing steadied once again. "What, are you doing stupid! Are you TRYING to get yourself killed?" Inuyasha looked down at her. She noticed he was not angry, he was nearly teasing her. Confusion drifted over her._ _Barely above a whisper, she asked him what had happened._ _Kaede rushed inside with a bucket of water and a clean rag. She placed them both next to Kagome and dipped the rag in the water. She brought it back up and squeezed it tightly making sure to get just enough water out of it. She placed it softly over Kagome's forehead, wiping off her sweat along the way._

"_We were fighting Naraku," Inuyasha started, "remember?" Kagome softly nodded and listened attentively. "With our attack, we defeated him."_ _Marvelous joy swept over Kagome._ _'Finally,' she thought. Their long awaited victory had finally come. One thing troubled her however. If they had defeated Naraku, where was the Jewel? _

"_And the Shikon Jewel?" she spoke very softly. They all stared at her, eyes glittering._ _'Is there something I don't know?' No one said a word for quite some time. Kagome began to think the worst. Kaede spoke first. "Please," she said, "leave us alone for a little while." They all nodded at the old women and proceeded outside._ _Dipping the rag back into the water and replacing it once more, she sighed. "Kagome..." She looked down at the young girl below her._ _"Ye have the Jewel inside Ye." Kagome gasped. 'No... not again...no' _

"_How can that be?"_

_She looked up at Kaede, confused and troubled. "I myself am not sure, but it seems after the jewel was completed, it decided to return to its owner, ye." Kagome didn't reply. She stared up at the roof, thoughts drifting through her head. Not about the Jewel now, but about her companions. Mostly Inuyasha._ _Now that her purpose was completed, would he still want her around? At least now that she had the Jewel in her once again, she could come back anytime, or so she hoped._

"_I should let ye know child," Kaede's words snapped Kagome back to reality. "The jewel, its awake this time inside ye." 'Awake?' Kagome thought. 'What does she mean awake?' She stared at her and blinked a few times. "Awake? I don't understand. What do you mean awake?"_

"_Last time it was in your body, it was dormant. When ye came through the well, its power awakened. This time, im afraid, it will remain that way no matter what the time._"

"_Okay, but why should that matter. It will just be like last time, no?"_

_Kaede crossed her hands in her lap. "No.. no not at all. Im afraid not. Its powers are fully awake. It is now a part of you permanently. It is a part of your heart. It knows what you think, what you feel, everything. Along with it, you receive its powers also. Immortality, and magic. Once you harness these powers, you'll be able to do much good child."_

_Kagome took in everything Kaede said. 'Immortality? Magic?' They both sounded harmless. 'Why is she so worried about this then?'_

"_That sounds good. Why do you sound so regretful?"_

_Kaede sighed. "Im afraid... if the Jewel feels you are unstable, it will take over. It will be able to control your mind, and emotions. It will do anything to stabilize its holders emotions. Ye must keep your heart strong Kagome. Learn to control the Jewel. Learn to control its power, before... before it takes ye over."_

_Kaede's words shocked her. She brought her hand up to her chest and clasped on to her shirt once more._ _'It... it will take me over?'_

Kaede's words still burned in Kagome's mind. She stared down at her hands. She remembered Kaede also explained to her most of the jewels powers. She still had no way to use them when she wanted though, and wasn't quite sure how to learn to do so. Did she just concentrate and the power would come out? She kept staring at her hands for a few minutes. She walked behind Sesshoumaru like a mindless drone. Kagome thought back to the night before. 'The power released when I became afraid for Sesshoumaru's life. Maybe all I have to do is think of him? No!... that would never work.' Nevertheless, she concentrated on thoughts of Sesshoumaru. Her hands placed outwards a short distance from her. His face appeared in her memories. It was the same look she saw on him this morning. His eyes were glistening and full of emotion for the first time. He smiled a small loving smile at her. 'Love..' She thought about him fondly. Did she love him? She did not know. As she continued to think of him, she felt a warm sensation come over her.

The world around her stopped for what seemed forever. The light wind was still blowing her ebony locks softly. Her eyes were closed. She kept walking straight automatically. The warm sensation consumed her. She was completely at peace. She could not hear anything around her, she could only see Sesshoumaru's face in her mind.

An extremely bored Sesshoumaru walked straight on the path. He knew Kagome was still behind him, he could hear her gentle steps. Thinking back on this morning, he regretted what he had done. 'Do I really regret it?...' His emotions consumed him and he allowed them to. He had shown too much sympathy to this girl. It bothered him deeply. Not the fact that he had shown her sympathy, but the fact that he could and wanted to. Kagome had taken over his mind. She was in his thoughts constantly. Her scent made it all the more difficult for Sesshoumaru to concentrate on anything. He wanted her, more than ever. He had allowed her to take a step through his ice doors. Her warm glow slowly melting them. He argued with himself for a long time. Did he love her? Did he hate her? Both answers came around every now and then.

As he was walking, arguing with himself once again, he felt a small amount of energy behind him. Fearing it might be an enemy, he quickly turned around. What he found surprised him. Kagome was walking forward a few feet behind him. He hands in front of her near her chest. She glowed a light pink color, and from her hands, a ball of energy. She hadn't noticed he had stopped. He kept watching her. The sunlight shining through the trees behind her made her glow all the more supernatural. "Kagome..." He stared at her, worry in his eyes. Nothing. She hadn't heard him. He walked back to where she was and placed a hand on her shoulder.

In her mind, she heard Sesshoumaru call out to her and she followed his voice fondly. She reached out for him and he for her. All of a sudden, Kagome felt something touch her. She saw the vision of Sesshoumaru get further and further away from her. 'NOO! Come back... don't leave me...' She tried to run up to him and catch him, but it was no use. The warm feeling she had felt earlier, exploded in a sudden burst.

As Sesshoumaru placed his hand on her shoulder, he felt her energy. It had gotten stronger, but not quite as strong as the previous night. 'Is the jewel trying to take her over. No.. it mustn't. I wont let it..' In a few seconds, he felt the energy power up even more. It burnt his hand and sent him flying a few feet back.

Kagome's senses started to return. The world around her began to spin once again. She opened her eyes just in time to see Sesshoumaru be pushed back into the air by her. She gasped. 'What have I done?' Sesshoumaru looked down at his hand and cursed slightly. It hadn't gotten too burnt, but it was in a bit of pain. He was glad though, Kagome had snapped out of her trance. She ran over to his side and fell to her knees instantly. She looked at him through watery eyes. "Im...Im so sorry. Please forgive me." She had hurt the one she cared for. She had done this often. Constantly hurting those she loved, Sango, Miroku,...Inu..Yasha. She wanted to get rid of this useless jewel. It brought nothing to her but unhappiness since the very beginning. Would Sesshoumaru hate her now? She was sure she had hurt him. If the blast had been stronger, it would have completely killed him. She gently picked up his hand, and kissed it lightly. Sesshoumaru watched her, his eyes glistening.

He watched as grief took over her once peaceful face. He didn't want to make her unhappy. He didn't want to be the cause of her sorrow. He knew she hadn't meant to hurt him, and if she had, he would have let her. He gave in, he admitted he had fallen deeply in love with this girl. If she tried to kill him, he would stand still and let her, as long as no harm came to her. 'Is this what my brother feels?' He now understood why his brother did what he did. Love, it is a beautiful thing. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to give Kagome up now. Even now with her watery eyes, stained cheeks, and slightly red nose, she looked beautiful to him.

He grabbed her hand with his burnt one, the pain sent through his body, but he didn't care. He grabbed her other hand and pulled her to him. He embraced her and held her tightly. His hand was placed softly behind her head, and the other on her back. Kagome gasped as Sesshoumaru pulled her towards him. She didn't try to pull away, she only embraced him with open arms. She was shocked Sesshoumaru would do something like this, but glad at the same time. She had only dreamed of being in his embrace like this once again. Her sobs died down and they just kneeled there on the ground holding each other.

After a few minutes, Sesshoumaru pulled away slightly to look at her eyes. The same glittering light brown eyes as always. "I was scared." he admitted. Kagome listened to him silently, their faces only a few inches away. He was whispering to her. "I was scared it was taking you over..." He stared at her and she at him. "I...I don't ever want that to happen." Kagome was shocked. 'What... what's he trying to say. Does he really care for me?' "Sesshoumaru..." Kagome blushed a light pink color. He pulled her closer to him once again. She could feel his hot breath by her neck. "Please," she heard him say, "don't ever scare me like that ever again." The great lord did get scared after all. Kagome never imagined he would fear for her out of all things.

- - - - -

Night had soon conquered the daylight. All she could think about however, was what happened that morning. She was uncertain, but at the same time, never happier. He had held her in his arms, comforted her, shown... love? Could she call it love? She could hardly believe the great lord would love her, but she hoped that is what that was. She had fallen deeply for him. He was the obsession of her thoughts, the source of her power, her energy. Although she had only really known him for a little while, she wasn't sure what life would be like without him. Never before had she felt this way for Inuyasha. It was all so new but familiar to her.

After he had held her for what seemed like hours. He helped her up and asked her if she was alright. The first thing on her mind at this moment was healing that burn she had given him. She quickly cleaned it for him with water and bandaged it. They continued walking not saying much after that. She explained to him what she had been trying to do with her power. He said nothing, only nodded every now and then.

Kagome was tattooed to his mind. He wanted to hold her again. Hold her tight and never let her go. Letting go to him felt as if a part of his heart was being ripped out. He felt the heartache consume him. She was so close to him, but so far away at the same time. If he wanted to, he could reach out to her. He did want to, but he couldn't. He loved her. She was a human, a human with priestess powers nonetheless, and still... he loved her. But, she... she loved another. A worthless slime of a dog he thought. From what Kagome had told him earlier, he assumed she still loved him. Just the thought of it broke his heart all over again. He wanted to hunt him down and kill him, but that would hurt her too much. 'So this is what it feels like to be rejected?' He thought of how his brother had done the same thing to Kagome. It was a horrible feeling. Sesshoumaru promised himself that even if he could not have her love, he would be there by her side comforting her. He wanted to protect her.


	6. Kiss me tender, Love me sweet

**Last Chapter Summary -** Kagome recalls some old memories of what happened with the jewel. She tries to concentrate on the power of the jewel and learn how to use its powers, but in the process harms Sesshoumaru. Several new feelings washed over both of them. Kagome admits to herself she loves him and Sesshoumaru admits to himself that he loves her.

**Love - _Fate's Princess_**

**Chapter 6 - Kiss me tender, Love me sweet. **

The scent of the night was in the air. They still continued to walk straight through the forest. Sesshoumaru was going at a rather quick pace. Kagome was having a hard time keeping up with him, especially since she could not see at night. Her thoughts drifted to that of the Midnight flower, 'I believe it was called the Lucine Blossom?' She wondered if this flower could be found in her time. It would have been much easier to just go down the well and retrieve it. Then again, it was probably already extinct. She had never heard of such a flower. She wondered about what they would do when they got to the village. Surely the people of the village would have a hard time admitting Sesshoumaru in. And the flower, did she just have to pick it, or would there be something special she had to do. More than about the flower, she thought of Sesshoumaru.

'Will I have to leave him after I pick the flower for Rin?' Goodbye is always the hardest word to say. Would he remember her after she was gone? Would he even care? Kagome hoped he would, but didn't bet too much on it. Over the past few days she has seen a whole new side of Sesshoumaru she never knew could exist. Although he has a rather cold and heartless exterior, deep down she knew he was a... kind person. She had done it again, fallen in love with something that could never happen. First Inuyasha and now him. Sesshoumaru was different though. She guessed it was better but worse in someways.

Without looking down to see where she was going, Kagome tripped over a tree branch. Her foot had gotten stuck in the branches and twisted on her trip down to the ground. She landed next to the tree with a loud 'thump.' Her reactions weren't quick enough to grab something before she fell. She could feel the burning pain of her foot through her entire body. A quick shiver ran through her back. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as she tried to lift herself up.

Sesshoumaru heard a crashing noise behind him and looked back to find Kagome on the ground. He dashed over to her side and kneeled next to her on one knee. He saw she was trying to push herself up but couldn't. 'Did she injure herself?' He helped her turn her body around and her head now rested on Sesshoumaru's lap.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Sesshoumaru looked around as if expecting an enemy to pop out of a bush and kill them. Kagome blushed at the thought of her head being in his lap. She found it comfy. 'Wouldn't mind sleeping here every night.' She blushed once again.

"I...I tripped over a tree root." Kagome looked up at him and he looked down at her. His long hair cascaded down his shoulders and surrounded her face. She could smell the scent of flowers in his hair. Sesshoumaru stared into her eyes as she laid there. Feelings were once again washing over him. He felt his body get warm and his heart beat begin to race. Without even thinking of his actions, he leaned down towards her face. They were only a few inches away now. Kagome was now blushing furiously. 'What's he doing! Is...is he going to kiss me?' Kagome hoped he would. She couldn't think of what to do or say. Every second his face got closer to hers. She could feel his breathing on her. "I think I twisted my ankle!" she blurted out without thinking. Immediately after, she cursed inwardly. Sesshoumaru's head sprung back up as if released from a trance. It was too dark to see, but Kagome swore she saw him blushing. His glare shifted to that of her ankle.

"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru could feel Kagome's head nodding in his lap. Although he didn't mind her movement in his lap, he found it to not be the best action at this time. He could feel himself become more turned on every second. He picked her up off the ground and laid her back down by a tree before she could notice his _amusement._ He sat down by her feet and took off both of her shoes. "Which one?" Kagome pointed to her right foot. Sesshoumaru nodded and began to massage it. "Tell me where it hurts." He moved down from her calf to her foot slowly. She felt his soft hands on her skin and blushed. She found herself becoming turned on by his gentle touch. As he reached her ankle she winced and tilted her head back. "There!" Sesshoumaru stopped his movement and examined her ankle for a few minutes.

"Its just twisted. It should be fine in the morning. Do you have any more bandages?" Kagome nodded and handed her backpack to him. He pulled out the same white box she had earlier. He opened it to find many different contraptions he had never seen. "That" she pointed to an elastic band. He pulled it out of the box and gently wrapped it around her ankle. Even though it was dark out, she knew it was still early. 'Its all my fault. Im slowing him down.' She looked down to her ankle and sighed. "Im sorry." Sesshoumaru was in the process of taking his armor off. "Why?" He collected some small pieces of wood around the area and set them a few feet away from where Kagome sat. He was trying to build a fire as Kagome had, but wondered how she made the fire come out.

"Because... im slowing us down. You would have probably already been there if it were not for me. Im just useless.." Sesshoumaru stopped what he was doing and walked over to where she was. "Kagome..." he sat down next to her and lifted her chin up with his clawed finger. Their eyes met. "If it were not for you, I would have already been dead." Kagome slightly blushed and smiled. She looked over to his pile of sticks and laughed. "Need a little help?" she pointed to the unlit wood. Sesshoumaru nodded. She reached over to her backpack and pulled out a lighter. After she showed Sesshoumaru how it worked, he got the fire started.

"You humans sure have some strange contraptions." Kagome laughed once again. Sesshoumaru was glad to see she was smiling and laughing once again. Her laugh was an infectious one. Without even thinking about it, Sesshoumaru found himself smiling at her.

He walked over to where she was and sat down in front of her this time. "Come on," he started. Kagome blinked a few times. "What?"

"I want you to practice using your powers."

Kagome was surprised he would ask her such a thing. "But why?"

"Well, you said if you don't learn to take control of them, the jewel will take over your body right?" Kagome nodded. "Well then, im going to help you. Its only fair I should." The real reason behind Sesshoumaru's action was fear. He was afraid the jewel would take her over and he would lose her. That's the last thing he would ever want to happen.

'He wants to help me?' Kagome didn't understand his sudden actions. One moment he was cold hearted and rude towards her, and the next he was gentle, kind, compassionate. 'He's worse than a teenage girl!'

"Okay, but I don't know how to. Kaede was suppose to be teaching me, but it didn't work out."

His eyes were still glued on hers. "Well how did you do it this morning?"

Kagome looked away from him and up towards the crescent moon in the sky. "I...I.. Just concentrated on something and it came out. It has to be something I like. I have to be relaxed I guess, but this foots not helping any."

Sesshoumaru felt the sudden urge to ask her what it was she thought about but decided it was none of his business. "Well, just think of that thing again."

She looked back towards him, distress could be seen in her eyes. "But.. what if... what if I..." Sesshoumaru swayed his hand in the air dismissing her sentence. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

Nodding, Kagome closed her eyes. "No." Just seconds after she closed her eyes, Sesshoumaru's words made her open them again. "What?" she replied.

"Don't close your eyes."

She looked at him a bit frustrated. "But how am I suppose to concentrate?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Just don't close your eyes. When you do, you go into a state of trance and lose control of your actions. You have to learn how to be the one in control of the powers, not the other way around. Even if you figure out how to tap the powers when you need them, you still wouldn't have any control over them."

Kagome nodded. She understood what he meant. He was right, earlier this morning when her powers released, she had no control over them. But how was she suppose to concentrate?

"I understand what you mean, and you're right... but how am I suppo.." She watched Sesshoumaru come closer to her. He walked over to her back and told her to scoot up. She did as he said. She felt him sit behind her. She was now rested on his chest. Kagome blushed a deep red color. "What...are you.."

Sesshoumaru grinned. "Relaxing you.." He put his hands on her tense shoulders and gently massaged them. She gulped and her heart began to race. Kagome's breathing soon returned to normal. Soon, all she could feel was Sesshoumaru's touch on her shoulders. The pain from her foot was no longer there. She melted at his touch.

Sesshoumaru leaned in to whisper in her ear. Kagome could feel his hot breath on her neck. "Now," he whispered softly. His hands glided from her shoulders down her arms. "Position your arms as if you were going to shoot an arrow." Kagome did as she was told. She felt her body become warmer and warmer.

His hands slowly came back to her shoulders and down her back to her sides. He made swift movements up and down her sides. "Concentrate your power to form a bow and arrow in your hands." She could feel his hot breath against her neck once again. Words couldn't describe how Kagome felt right now. Never had she gotten so weak, yet strong by anyone's touch.

Sesshoumaru watched as she began to glow a light white color. He could feel her energy strengthening. A bow and arrow made from pure white energy formed in her hands. Kagome gasped as it did. She didn't know she could do such a thing. He grinned. His hands found their way back up to her shoulders. With one hand he slowly caressed her neck. He wanted to explore every inch of her body. "Aim at that tree." Kagome nodded and pulled her hand back ready to release. She held on to the bow tightly. Her hands were beginning to ache and bleed. Sesshoumaru could smell the blood in the air. He moved his hands over hers. "Softer.." he whispered. At his touch, her grip loosened. The pain in her hands stopped. "Release." Kagome released the arrow and it flew forward in a bright ball of energy.

It went straight through the tree leaving a huge hole. It did the same to three trees after it before finally dying out. Kagome gasped. She never imagined she was capable of such a thing. She stared down at her bloody torn hands. Sesshoumaru's hands dropped down to his sides. He had been holding his breath as she released. With one quick sigh, his breathing steadied. "Good. You did it. Congratulations." Kagome turned her head to look back at him. She smiled. "Thank you." Their faces were only a few inches away now. Kagome blushed and so did Sesshoumaru. Their eyes were locked on each other. Sesshoumaru could feel her breath on his face.

Sesshoumaru brought his hand to her back, pulling her a bit closer. His other hand, he ran through her cheek. Kagome purred at his touch. She thought about how gentle he had just been with her. All he did was touch her and her body would become flushed. She leaned even closer to him, their noses were touching. With one gentle swipe, Sesshoumaru brushed his lips softly against hers. A spark was sent throughout Kagome's body, her heart began to race. She closed her eyes and their lips met once again. He kissed her gently and passionately. Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's lips suck on her bottom lip. She moaned. She parted her lips and he entered her. Their tongues became one in a few soft movements. Before he pulled away, he quickly pecked her on the lips once more. He opened his eyes and found her with her eyes still closed. She sat there, breathing hard. She slowly opened her eyes, glittering like never before. She was in heaven.

For too many hours she dreamt of kissing his tender lips. She leaned in and rested her head on his chest. He held her with two strong arms, his chin rested on the top of her head. 'What have I done.' he thought. 'I shouldn't have done that.' He had to admit, he enjoyed that kiss more than anything in the world. He was aching for her, he wanted to take her, but resisted. Sesshoumaru didn't want to make her do anything she didn't want to. He still tasted her candy sweet lips on his. Pure poison, it left him addicted.

Both, Kagome's cheeks and minds were flushed. 'What did that mean? Does he love me?' Could it be possible that the Prince of Ice loved her? She wanted to believe it, she hoped this wasn't a dream. And if it was a dream, she wanted it to last forever. Her first real kiss was everything she always hoped it would be.

The moonlight shone brighter than ever tonight. It cast a soft glow on the two lovers. Kagome stared up at it. She closed her eyes and made a wish.


	7. Our Fantasy, My Reality

**Note : Yes.. Sesshoumaru has two arms. :) 'gasp' **

**Last Chapter Summary -**Kagome trips over a tree root while walking and twist's her ankle. Sesshoumaru try's to teach her how to control her powers. They kiss under the moonlight.

Heh.. some summary..lol

**Love - _Fate's Princess_**

**This chapters sort of a quickie. Next one will be much better. I promise. **

**Chapter 7 -** **Our Fantasy, My Reality.**

She sat there motionless on his chest for what seemed like an hour. Thoughts still flushing through her head. She could feel the ice doors of his heart dripping slowly in her hands. Or, was this just a dream? Yes... it had to be a dream she figured. Sweet rapture rested softly on her lips. She had tasted him, overwhelming ecstacy, and she wanted more. She wanted to hold him forever, never loosen her grip. Feel his lips upon hers once again. Feel his body against hers, gently, passionately. Wanting, caring, longing for more. She wanted to meet his soul. Find the truth behind his lonely eyes. Loneliness, one thing she despised, one thing she knew quite well.

What of Inuyasha? Did she still care? Her mind said yes, but her heart said no. He still held a part of her heart. A special one indeed. It no longer consumed her to think of him though. It was as if, he was sealed away with just one kiss. Sealed once again, back into the forest of her heart. Onto an ancient tree, in the middle of nowhere. His place, taken by his brother. The one he despised so much. Why? Who knows. Kagome didn't. All she could do was assume, assume and worry. Could he be released to rampage in the forests of her heart once again? Would Sesshoumaru be there to stop him? Could, would, should, her mind was playing tricks on her.

What of Kikyo? Kagome was once a part of her. Connected? They still were in some mysterious ways. Bound by destiny to love and loose. But Kikyo's destiny had changed. Brought back to life, she was given another chance. But she was no longer whole. She was not the only one. Kagome stood there, in the shadow of her place. Kikyo's heart was clouded and so was her reason. She hunted Inuyasha down for treason. Treason? .. To her heart. But it was not his fault, did she not know? Kagome wondered why she cared. Kikyo had done everything in her power to separate them. To make her life miserable. But, the question still stood, was she truly that sinister? 'No.' She couldn't be. She wouldn't be. She shouldn't be. She was confused. They both were.

Now that Kagome's purpose was complete, she wondered what she was still doing there. No longer a shard detector, the jewel within her, she was not of much help. She thought of leaving, many times before. At the last second, just before the plunge, she told herself no. There had to be more. 'No?' This adventure.. this fantasy.. she never wanted it to end. Reality was far too much a burden for her these days. Though,... this wasn't far from it, it hurt just as much. Her heart did not rest, reality or fantasy.. the border no longer stood. And she, she was in between. All around her, the ruins of the once great wall, crumbled down to the floor.

'Sesshoumaru...' He was her purpose for being there now. She could not tell if he wanted her to be, she only hoped. At the thought of his warm embrace, she never wanted to leave. To stay in this world, this dream.. forever more.

A small flame from the fire in front of her crackled. Her gaze shifted to it and she stared. She watched, enchanted, as the fire danced to the rhythm of the night. She noticed, the grass also danced. And the trees too. She could feel their majestic power consume her. She too wanted to be like them. No worries, no cares, nothing. So dead, but alive. Did she really? No love? No pain? No, she couldn't live like that, but living itself was too much. Always, she had been told, "life is a precious thing." 'Lies.' Still so young, she had much to learn, or so they said. But, what they did not know.. was that through her eyes, she lived in two worlds. She had seen so much already, and had many years to go. History unfolded itself to her.

"What is on your mind miko?" His voice echoed in her head. 'So much,' she thought.

Turning her head to look at him, she found it hard to stare in his eyes without melting. "Everything," she whispered. Turning her head back away before his gaze consumed her, she added, "and nothing at all."

He nodded as if he knew what she meant. She could not see him, but she could feel his head nodding above her.

'Nothing..' he thought. This he knew very well. It was what he used to describe his thoughts. His feelings... his emotions... everything. He knew she lied. There was much on her mind, much of what he did not know. He wished he did. He wanted to know her. He wanted to share his secrets with her and hers with him. He wanted, and wanted. Wanted it all. Not the world, not the land, not even a river, for those things, he no longer cared. He wanted her, only her. If he was to live eternally, least he would survive if she were with him.

What would his father think right now? Would he be ashamed, or would he be proud? Sesshoumaru wondered, and as he wondered.. he noticed he did not care. His father was long gone, and he was here. He was here and she was here. They were together, but for how long? Would she leave him, or would she stay. More importantly, could he find it in him to ask her to stay? So many questions and only a few days to answer them.

"Everything and nothing..." His words were soft and warm, so unlike his usual cold speech. Kagome shuddered. "I know the feeling well. Many questions arise in your mind, many unanswered. Fear, pain, loneliness. Yes I know the feeling well Kagome."

"I-I was .. thinking about my purpose here." As she spoke, she drew a circle with her index finger in the sand nearby. "Now that the jewel is safe, I am no longer of use." She chuckled lightly. "Then again, maybe that is just my destiny. To be set aside and forgotten."

She felt his hand on her shoulder. Gulping, she turned to look at him. Feelings rushing through her once again. Fear.. fear of being turned away. Worry... worry of falling in love. Love..love.

"You should not say such things. Your destiny has not been decided. Only you can do such a thing." He smiled softly at her. "Don't let a few mistakes conquer you Kagome. You are strong. I know you are."

She nodded softly, eyes watery from his sweet words.

"You will never be forgotten," he added.

"What am I doing here? Should I not be in my time with my family...how it was _suppose_ to be?"

"Should you?" he said cooly.

"I don't know."

"Neither do I. All I know, is that nothing is _suppose_ to be."

She thought this over. 'Things are not suppose to be?' It made no sense. Things were constantly made to be. 'Things...' She was not a thing. She was a person. What were people made to do? Who knows. There's no correct or incorrect answer to that question. It is a sort of thing only she could answer. Not what she was suppose to do, but what she wanted to do. What did she want? She wanted him. She wanted to live ten-thousand life-times with him, if not longer.

She looked away from his face and down to his chest. "I–I want... to be here." she said softly. If he were not a dog-demon, he would not have heard her.

Smiling, he replied, "Then stay here."

"With you..." She looked up to his eyes. They locked. He did not reply. She held her breath, heart beating like crazy as she awaited an answer.

'With you.' The words bounce around Sesshoumaru's head. This is what he had been waiting for. She did want to be with him. He now had a chance to be with her. But what should he say? He wanted to say yes, to scream to the night sky. But he was frozen. Never before had a few words gotten to him so. After a few seconds, he replied.

"With me." He smiled softly, a light loving smile.

Kagome's insides jumped all around. She could stay with him. He wanted her to. 'Didn't he?' She did not care. All she cared about were his words. Just being with him would be enough for her to pull through the burden of forever. She did not expect to have his love. She only wished.

Her eyes grew wide open and her cheeks flushed a light pink color. All around her, she swore she saw stars. She was now the moon, high up in the night sky. The last thing she expected to ever happen, he did again. A few seconds after he replied, he slowly lowered his lips to hers once again. She closed her eyes, cheeks still flushed, and kissed him back.

Once they pulled away, he gently pushed her to rest on his chest once again. "Rest," he said.

"We arrive at the village tomorrow." She did not reply, she did not move. All she did was lay still and take on his warm embrace. She wanted it to last as long as it could. He took her breath away once again. Closing her eyes, she drifted to sleep. Her dreams took over, and she awaited. Awaited till the next day for the fantasy of her reality.


	8. Hours go by, Our reflections

**Note - Hehe, thanks for the great reviews everyone. Im glad you guys like the story and also the way I write. Wow, almost getting to the end here... :) only a few more chapters to go.**

**Love - _Fate's Princess_**

**Chapter 8 - Hours go by, Our reflections. **

He sat there, unmoving, for fear of waking his sleeping angel. Sleep had come and gone to him in a few seconds. Now, it was completely gone. He looked down to his chest at the sleeping figure of Kagome. She slept peacefully, she always did. Kagome reminded him of Rin often. Her constant joy, and constant blabbering. Her change of emotions, by the mere second. Is this how all humans were? Sesshoumaru wondered. He had always had a dislike for humans, yet has managed to care for two of them. They were different. They were not like the others. Kagome, most definitely, was _different_.

She did not speak like other humans Sesshoumaru had seen. She did not dress like them. Could he call her controversial? No, she did not seem to be trying. He had heard her say that she was not of this time. She was from the future. He did not believe her at first, but over the past few days, he has figured that could be the only reasonable explanation. In her strange bag, she carried many foreign items he had never seen before. She was special. Very special. Not only in her actions, but to him.

It was now past midnight and the Demon Lord could not sleep. He had 7 hours to kill, before she would awake. Would it drive him insane? No, it has happened before.

On the midnight hour, he thought of how Kagome treated him. She was not like anyone else. He knew she respected him, but she was not afraid. She would tell him the truth about things how they were suppose to be told. When she apologized, she did not do it out of fear for her life, but out of actual resentment. It touched him deeply. In places he did not even know existed anymore. The way she spoke with him was always soft and caring. She did not wish to anger him or drive him away. Or so it seemed.

Midnight had now come and gone, and he was on the second hour. He directed his thoughts away from Kagome, and turned to those of his mother. Or so he tried. No matter how hard, he found himself comparing the two. Sesshoumaru loved his mother deeply. When he was still young, and she was alive, she was the one who helped him pull through. She helped him survive all the training he was put through. She was cheerful, strong, and beautiful. Much like how Kagome was. Never in his life with her, had he seen his mothers true form. He knew she was strong, he could feel it, but she would not fight. She was a strange demon. Onewho did not like battles or blood. She was one of a kind. She was gone, yet she was here. She had never left him, he left her because of fear.

On the third hour he was put into trance by the moon. There was a crescent moon out tonight. It looked different from all the other nights however. Maybe, he thought, it was not the moon, but the company. She was here with him, in his arms, sleeping. She had changed him, in so many ways, and he had not noticed. He had begun to pay more attention to the things around him. To admire them. And as he looked towards the moon, he asked for its guidance. If there was a goddess, to help him with this burden in his heart. This burden, was one he treasured deeply. It weighed nothing, and kept his heart warm. He, however, did not know what to do with it. It confused him like nothing had before. He wanted it. Wanted to keep it, and he could, that had been assured. But he was still lost, how was he suppose to treat _it_? To keep _it_ warm? What was this burden? He knew that well. It was a new feeling to him, but already, he knew it well.

By the fourth hour, he had begun to stare at Kagome. He looked at her still sleeping figure. Her breathing was controlled and soft. He watched as her chest went up and down. Over, and over again. Her right hand was curled into a little ball by his heart. Her hair was spread all over the place. It was an untamed animal. And her scent, once again, intoxicated him pleasurably. She smelt so good to him, like no other human had before. For a short while, he even considered her to not be human since she was so strange. Maybe strange was not the correct word for her, but what she was, he could not describe with words.

At the fifth hour, he was going crazy. Here she was, so close to him. Touching him. He could feel her, all of her. Could he describe his intentions as pure? Possibly not. He wanted to be with her, forever more. But, would she want that too? Would she care if he touched her? Would she allow him to? Would she touch him too? The questions were driving him mad. For one who thought he knew all, he could now admit what he knew, was far beneath_ all_. She had not denied his embrace, or his kiss, would she deny more?

At the sixth hour, he thought of his half-brother. His foolish little brother. How idiotic he was. He had so much and pushed it all away, slowly. Why did he again? For the other miko. The one named Kikyo. He had met her once before. About what, he did not remember. He did notice now, however, she looked much like Kagome. An older version? Yes indeed they looked alike. But he had spoken with her, and just by looking at her, he knew she was nothing like Kagome. She was cold. Much like how he was. Kagome was not. She was actually the opposite. And that is what he loved about her. The warm light she gave off.

By the seventh hour, the thoughts of Kagome in his mind had overpowered him. She was all he could seem to think of. No matter how far he strode from things he could relate to her, his path brought him back to her. Back to his love. Which, made him all the more regretful to only be able to have her in his mind. Sesshoumaru had never been the kind to not get something he wanted, but she was different. She was not just another thing. She was real. He could not own her. Maybe another woman, but not her. No, not her. They were not her.

The light in the sky had begun to get brighter in the late half of the seventh hour. He watched, as the sunlight tore through the blanket of darkness thrown over the forest. When it reached Kagome, he felt her stir. She nuzzled her face deeper into his chest and clung on harder, as if not wanting to let go. Sesshoumaru never wanted her to let go. He wanted her to stay. He had told her so himself, and she.. she had asked to do so.

She opened one eye lazily and studied her surroundings. She hated this morning routine. Every morning as she awoke, she would have no clue where she was, or what happened the night before. Then slowly, it would all come back to her. This morning, she remembered right after looking up at his eyes. How could she forget. It had been, by far, the best night of her life. She watched him as he smiled down at her. Sesshoumaru had gotten friendly over the past few days, smiling often. She liked it. His smile.

"Good morning."

She stretched her hands up, high in the sky and tilted her head back to lean on his shoulder. Yawning, she replied, "Morning. Did you sleep well?"

He thought back to the previous seven hours. Not exactly what he called well, but not horrible.

He nodded, in response to her question.

Now regretting it, with one quick movement she was standing up and out of his arms. Her ankle felt better this morning, but it was still quite difficult to walk on. On her way over to her bag, she stumbled a few times. Sesshoumaru watched in silence.

"Okay, lets go!" Her smile was a fake one. He knew she was having a difficult time. When Kagome turned to look at him, she noticed his armor had already been put on. When had he done that? Shrugging her shoulders, she walked over to where he was.

Still seated, he only stared at her in silence. Kagome blinked a few times. She watched as he just sat there and stared. Was it something she had said? No couldn't be. "What's wrong?"

Sesshoumaru still said nothing. He shook his head and stood up. "Lets go." He began to walk towards the North once again. Kagome stood there confused. 'What was that all about!' Slowly, she started to follow him. Her pace was slower than usual due to her ankle.

Kagome noticed his face looked more tired than usual. 'Did he not sleep?' She wondered if demons ever actually slept. Inuyasha had, or so it seemed. She had seen Sesshoumaru sleep before, but could she actually call it sleep? With just one little sound, he would wake up as if he was never asleep. Shrugging off the question, she continued to walk.

Sesshoumaru noticed Kagome behind him through the corner of his eye. She was far behind, her pace was slower than usual. Was it her ankle? Yes, he decided it had to be. He thought about just picking her up and carrying her the rest of the way. She was light and it was not a far distance to go. After a while, he decided that was not the best choice. He wanted her to become stronger, and making everything easy for her would not help. He stopped and turned to look at her. "Faster! I have no time to waste!" His voice loud and demanding. He turned back around and continued to walk before she had a chance to reply. Looking at her in the eyes had become a difficult task.

Gritting her teeth at his request, she closed her eyes and forced herself to move faster. A wave of pain was sent through her body. 'What's his problem!' Did he not notice she was injured and in pain. It did not matter anymore, she wanted to become stronger. Stronger for him. And she did so.

In front of her, Sesshoumaru smiled. No one could see him though. He knew she was capable of doing it.

She continued to walk, every new step all the more difficult. After a few hours, the pain was gone. Her foot was numb. She could feel nothing. They moved on their own, automatically, and she was thankful. The pain was gone now, or so she hoped. What if it was only sleeping? Then let it sleep forever. Sleep forever? Was that possible? She considered it fondly, because forever to her, seemed much too long. Forever alone? No, forever with Sesshoumaru. Had he meant what he said before? She needed him, here in her life. She was begging him to not walk away, but it seemed, everyday he took one step further away from her. But, also one closer to her heart. He was so different from what she remembered the first time she had seen him. Had it been the little girl who changed him?

And then she saw it, there in front of her. A few yards away was a village. It looked ordinary to her. A few huts here and there, and a huge temple in the far end of the village. That must be where the flowers are held. "Is that the village?" She asked, reassuring her earlier assumption.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Lets go."

They continued to walk towards the village. There was something odd about it however. There was no one out in the streets. It had a sort of eerie silence to it. Something was wrong. She knew there were people here, she could see some of them poking their heads out of the windows studying the new strangers. A light shiver ran through her back. How strange they must look to the villagers. A Demon Lord and a miko human girl. Not to mention Kagome's current attire. She looked to Sesshoumaru for any sign of worry. None.

When they reached the temple, Sesshoumaru stopped. He looked straight towards the door as if awaiting something. Kagome decided to do the same. After a minute of standing there, she was beggining to feel uncomfortable. Behind her, she could feel eyes. They were watching her. Then, suddenly, the doors opened slowly. In the center, stood an old man. From his robes, she assumed he was the head priest. He stared at them, eyes cold.

"What is your business here, demon?"

Kagome looked towards Sesshoumaru. It did not seem like he was going to reply to the old mans question. Sighing, Kagome stepped forward. She bowed, "Please sir.. we are.."

"Quiet girl!" he snapped back. "I did not ask you. I asked _it._" Gritting her teeth, Kagome stepped back. She could kill him if she wanted, or so she thought she could. She had only practiced using her powers once. With Sesshoumaru.

This time, Sesshoumaru walked forward. He did not bow. He did not smile. He did nothing to show respect. "Lucine Blossom." That was all he said.

"Ah, I see," the old man replied. "Very well, follow me." Kagome stood there blinking, confused. She saw Sesshoumaru follow the old man and did the same.

They walked on the path to the temple. The old man was first. Then Sesshoumaru, and Kagome after. She looked around and spotted a couple cherry trees. They were fully blossomed now. They reminded her of ones she had seen when she was a little girl. She remembered, running around with her little brother and playing under the cherry tree's. They would make bets, to see who could climb the highest. She, of course, always won. Her little brother sometimes cried, so she gave the victory to him instead. She missed those days.

They walked around the side of the temple towards the back. There, she spotted a lake. It stretched far across the land towards the mountains. The sun shown down on the lake and she watched as it glistened. Soft waves from the wind crashed onto the shore of the lake. And, at the shore, she noticed a little girl. She wore a priestess attire, and looked to be about twelve. She was looking at her reflection in the lake. Kagome watched, she watched as the little girl also watched. Unmoving, enchanted by her reflection in the lake. Could she hear them coming? Kagome assumed she couldn't. They walked past her and Kagome glanced back to her. The little girl looked up from her reflection and towards Kagome. Her eyes were blue, a light sky color. They were soft, and peaceful. But, they were also lonely. Screaming out to Kagome, yelling in her ear. To come to her. Kagome looked away and continued to walk forward.

They arrived at a room facing the lake. In the center, was a table. The priest sat down at one end, and Sesshoumaru on the other side. Kagome sat down next to Sesshoumaru. She decided to remain quiet this time and refrain from getting scolded.

"What is your business with the flower demon?" The old man was so cold. Never had she met such a frigid priest. Then again, it was a demon he was speaking to. But he had also been rude to her.

"It is not for me. Its for a human."

The priest looked towards Kagome. She looked around, expecting to see someone else there. Someone, anyone, he could possibly be gazing to. But there was no one, only her.

"Not her," Sesshoumaru added.

"Very well. I will give you two days. If you cannot pick the flower in that time, you must leave. Im sure you know about the flowers power. And I, or anyone else here, will not assist you."

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Amarante," the old man called out. In a few seconds, the same little girl from before stood by the door. She bowed and kneeled down.

"Show them to a room." Nodding, the little girl got up and began to walk away. Standing up quickly, Sesshoumaru and Kagome did the same. Before she left, Kagome stopped at the door. The old man was still seated. She bowed and thanked him. He was rather rude, but he had given them a chance. A chance to save Rin's life. That's all she could ask for right now. No emotion passed through the mans face, and Kagome did not expect there to be any. She turned away and followed Sesshoumaru and the little girl named Amarante.

They still had a few hours before the sun set, and she could attempt to pick the flower. She was confused, nervous, and anxious. Confused, what was she to do. Was there some kind of special ritual? Why would that priest not help her? Nervous, what if she couldn't do it? What would happen to Sesshoumaru and to Rin? Would he turn his back on her? Was this the only reason he stuck around her?

Anxious, why was she anxious? She did not know. She guess it was to see if she could really do it. If she was strong enough. If she was good enough. She hoped she was, but hoping now, did her no good. She had to believe she could do it. She had to do it. For Rin. For Sesshoumaru. For... for herself.

She decided to take a walk around and explore the outside of the temple. She had to clear her mind before anything. By the lake once again, she spotted the little girl. Without another thought, she walked over to where she was. Even as Kagome stood next to her, the little girl did not look up from her reflection. "Hi there," Kagome looked towards her own reflection now in the lake, "my names Kagome." She looked over to the silent little girl. She had yet to hear her speak. "Your names Amarante right?" The little girl nodded, still looking into the water. "That's a pretty name. It means, flower that never fades right?" The little girl looked up and towards Kagome. Kagome smiled. "Yes," said the little girl.

"How did you know that?"

Kagome shrugged. "Im not sure, it just came to me all of a sudden. I must have heard it somewhere before."

"You're here for the flower. Why?"

Kagome looked towards the water, she could feel the girls eyes on her. "Its for a little girl about your age. She's become sick, and unless we get her this flower, she will die."

The little girl looked away, "Oh... But, why is the demon here?"

"The little girl is the demons. I was told he rescued her from death, and she now travels with him. He protects her. He came here for the flower for her. I met him along the way and decided to help."

The little girl shook her head. "How do you know the story is true if you just met him?"

Kagome smiled, "Oh, no I knew him from a long time ago. I used to travel with his younger brother. I've met his little girl before. I want to save her."

The little girl looked up to her, "Then I wish you luck. No one has ever been able to do it before."

"Why not? What is it that I have to do?"

The little girl shrugged. "I was told, the flower is the one who chooses. It chooses if you are worthy enough for it. Demons cannot touch it, but neither can regular humans."

Kagome sat there silent for a few minutes, looking at her reflection. The little girls words worried her. Regular humans could not do it, but then again, she was far from normal. No one had ever been able to do it, but she had to try.

"Why do you look at your reflection so much, Amarante?"

The little girl stuck her index finger in the middle of her reflection. Water ripples emerged from it and soon faded. "Im trying to find myself. The real me. Beneath everything. This reflection I see. This person you look at. Is it really me?"

Kagome did not reply. Her reflection was not her? It made no sense. She kept looking at her reflection, trying to see what the little girl saw. All she could see was herself. Brown eyes, and black hair. There was nothing else.

"What do you see when you look at yourself?"

The little girl looked up once again. "I see myself in chains. Trapped." Kagome also looked up, shocked by her answer. "This is not what I want. To be a priestess. My heart longs to be free. To be wild. To find love, somewhere, in the world." Kagome blinked a few times. This little girl, she did not seem her age. "Keitaro-sama tells me im too young to know what I wish, and says this is the best thing for me. But he is wrong."

"Keitaro? Is that the priest from before?" The little girl nodded.

"Tell me, Kagome, what do you see when you look at your reflection?"

Kagome looked in the water, expecting to see someone else. Nothing. It was still just her, looking at herself. "I– I see nothing. Just, my reflection."

The little girl shook her head. "I see an angel."

"An angel?" Sesshoumaru's mention of angel wings came rushing back to her head.

The little girl nodded. "Yes, you are a beautiful angel, pure white wings come from your back. But you are being held down, held down by your fears. You cannot fly. You cry. Cry to be set free, to be released."

Kagome stood shocked. This little girl, she could see into her soul. She was right, her fears did hold her down. Kagome feared almost everything, if she really thought about it. She feared losing everything, being left alone most of all.

They sat there in silence, each staring at their own reflections. The sun began to set. She got up and began to walk back to her room where Sesshoumaru waited.

"Good luck, Kagome-san."

Kagome smiled back at the little girl. "Thank you."


	9. Kagome, Kagome

**Note : hehe** im writing this at 2 am... I cant sleep and I have nothing better to do.

**Raven2120 - **Very nice idea with the whole Amarante flower thing. :) .. I actually do plan on using her for something like that.. so you were very close.

**Sorry for the late update. I had too much work at school to write anything last week :(**

**Last chapter Summary - **Sesshoumaru spends the entire night before they arrive at the village thinking of Kagome. He try's to make her stronger by being tougher with her. Once they arrive at the village temple, the head priest gives them 2 days time to pick the flower. A mysterious little girl named Amarante also joins the picture.

**Love - _Fate's Princess_**

**Chapter 9 -** **Kagome, Kagome.**

She sat outside her room with Sesshoumaru. The sun had almost set and night was quickly creeping down their backs. Kagome was scared. Not for herself, but for everyone else. For Rin, and for Sesshoumaru. Without even realizing it, she had taken on a huge task. Now, the life of an innocent little girl rested on her shoulders. She had no idea of what to do, not even a bit of a clue. But then again, did she ever? Not at all, and she always seemed to pull through.

Just one more time, she thought. Just one more. That's all she needed. A blessing from a god, a blessing from anything, to help her pull through. This task, she had been told, was not an easy one. The most she had heard of it, was from Amarante. Her words, still brought her fear. And then, she wondered. What if she could not do it? What if she was not strong enough? Would she die in the process, or would she be set free to reminisce for all eternity?

The sun had set, and the moon was now steady in the sky. The stars looked so different up here in the north. Their shine was stronger, brighter, all the more beautiful than before. She started counting them, one by one, but before she could get past a dozen, the time had come.

The priest, named Keitaro, now stood in front of her and Sesshoumaru. Behind him, she spotted the little girl. She looked shy in the presence of the priest. But then again, who could blame her? He wasn't the friendliest person on earth.

"Come."

Sesshoumaru stood up, and helped Kagome do the same. They walked steadily behind Keitaro.

"Are you ready?" Sesshoumaru looked over to her through the corner of his eye.

Kagome gulped. She laughed nervously, "Ready as I'll ever be." She was breathing hard, she knew it. And she knew he also knew. She couldn't help it. Nervous was not even close to explaining how she felt.

"Kagome, remember. Im here. Im not going anywhere."

She nodded and smiled, "I know."

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly before letting go once again. Kagome gasped. Sesshoumaru really was beginning to confuse her. He'd done it again, just like all the other times. He was so cold to her, then, he acted like her best friend. It was frustrating to her, especially now. At least he had chosen to comfort her at the right time. He would be here for her. Watching her back, she knew he would. Could she say he would protect her? He had done it before. It didn't matter anymore, this was her time. She had to take control of the jewel, what better time than now?

They stopped in front of a garden by the lake. Kagome looked around, but she saw nothing. Was there not suppose to be flowers here? She watched, as the other people stood patiently. That's one thing she could not do. Along with the need to question everything, she had little patience.

"Where is the flower?"

The priest held up one hand as if to silence her. She did as he said and stared at the ground in the direction everyone else was.

Then she saw it, and she was in shock. Out of no where, she saw the garden of flowers blossom. They were too beautiful to describe with mere words. The flowers, were a pure white color, glowing in the moonlight. She watched as they all slowly opened, pedal by pedal. The tips were a clear transparent color.

They all took a few steps back and left her in front of the flowers. She looked back to Sesshoumaru, a look of doubt. Sesshoumaru smiled at her, wiping away any doubt or worry she had.

She kneeled down in front of the garden of flowers. The dirt was probably getting all over the place, but she did not care. She extended her hands and reached for the flower.

'Please... please help me. I want to save her. Please.' As she put her hands on the flower, a shock was sent through her. She immediately pulled her hands back. The tips of her fingers were burnt. She looked back over her shoulder. The priest, he was grinning. A malevolent smile like no other now took his grim expression. And Amarante? She held her hands clasped together as if praying. Eyes closed.

She couldn't look at Sesshoumaru, she didn't want to. She had failed him, she couldn't do it. She sat there, hands at her sides in the dirt. A wave of grief came over her. She wasn't strong enough. And then, she thought of all the times she had been told that. _Kagome, you're not strong enough, you're not good enough, you're not smart enough._ She was tired. Tired of never being _enough._ For once, just for once, she wanted to be able to do something without being considered weak.

Inuyasha had thought of her as weak, which is why he was so over protective. And every time she would try to prove him wrong, try to be the hero for once, she would just prove him right. But it ended here. She was going to do this, no matter how much pain it brought to her.

Determined, she extended her hands once more. The same shock as before came through her once again, but she did not let go. Gritting her teeth, she pulled on the flower, harder and harder. As she pulled, the shock became stronger. She screamed out in pain, out to the night sky. For help, for strength. Tears ran down her cheeks. It was too much for her, but she did not let go.

Just as she was about to collapse, she felt it once again. Weakness. She couldn't give up, she shouldn't, but what else could she do? 'What about the jewel?' The jewel had only worked because of Sesshoumaru.

He told her to relax, to concentrate. The plant shocking her didn't help any, but she had to at least try. She closed her eyes, more tears escaping through the sides. Sesshoumaru came into her mind. He was not alone this time, Rin was with him. They were in a field of flowers, calling to her. Telling her to join them. She could feel it, the power of the jewel. She let it spread, spread through her body like a virus. And then, she released.

Sesshoumaru stood aside watching as Kagome got shocked. His hands were tightly gripping his sword and he gritted his teeth as he watched. He couldn't take it any longer. She was in pain, her scream could be heard through all of Japan. He took one step forward, but felt something pulling on his sleeve. It was the little priestess girl. Her name had escaped his thoughts.

"Please," she begged, "You mustn't go yet. The time is not right." Her eyes, they were pleading, full of fear.

He listened to her, he did not know why, but he felt she was right, with just one look in her eyes. Who was this little girl? He was still looking down at her when he felt it. Immediately he turned his head to face Kagome. The jewel was trying to release its self once again. 'Damn!' The same wave as before passed by. He shielded his eyes with his left arm. Once his vision returned, she was there again. Not Kagome, the angel.

White wings, larger than he had remembered them. Her screams had stopped, everything had stopped. The world was frozen at her touch. The flower was no longer shocking her. He looked over to the priest. Pure shock on his face. He stumbled back on fell to the ground. Sesshoumaru watched amused. He pointed towards Kagome and directed his head towards Sesshoumaru.

"W..w...what...what is she?"

Looking down at the little girl is what surprised Sesshoumaru. She was not shocked, her expression had not changed at all. Could she not see her?

Kagome ran, she ran as fast as she could towards Sesshoumaru and Rin. The faster she ran, the further they got away. "Wait!" she would call out to them. But they would not. Sesshoumaru stuck out his hand to her and as she went to grab it, she was engulfed in a bright white light.

She looked around confused. There was nothing, only vast empty white space. "Hello?" her voice echoed.

"_Kagome, Kagome..."_ She heard a soft eerie voice call out to her. She looked all around her in a circle, but still saw nothing.

"_Kagome, Kagome..."_ it called once again.

"Who are you?" Kagome screamed.

"_When does the bird inside the cage come out?" _

She gasped. This voice, it sounded so familiar. She had heard it somewhere before. But where?

"_At dawns and evenings."_

This song, she had also heard it before. It was part of a game. She remembered playing it once with her little brother and his friends. 'They were in a circle... and I...I was in the middle... and I.. had to..'

"_When the crane and the turtle slipped and fell,"_

Sesshoumaru still stood there, being held back by the little girl. Her eyes were locked on Kagome's figure, unmoving.

She had to find the one who was behind her. The one who would pull her out of this spell. But even now, eyes wide open, she could not see. Her mind told her this was all a trick, to just ignore it, but she couldn't. Where had Sesshoumaru and Rin gone? Why did they leave her, leave her all alone? She brought her hands up to her ears, shielding them from that voice. "Leave me alone!" she screamed. Even then, with ears shielded, she still heard the voice.

"_Who is behind the one in front?"_

The little girl still clasped on to Sesshoumaru's sleeve. They were both watching Kagome attentively. The priest was now behind a rock, a few feet away. Was he truly that scared? Sesshoumaru had to admit, seeing Kagome like this was quite a shock, all the more for a human. Kagome still sat there, eyes closed. Her wings expanded out into the sky, glowing in the moonlight. In her hands, the flower floated. It was also glowing. This glow the flower gave off, took over Kagome. It pulled her in along with it.

"Go..." The little girl release his sleeve and her hand fell down to her side. She didn't move her eyes from Kagome. "Please..."

Sesshoumaru looked down at her. 'Go? Go to Kagome? And then what. Damn it! What am I suppose to do?' He was unsure of what to do, but non the less stepped forward, one foot in front of the other. He promised to be there with her, by her side, and he was. But, what was he to do. The last time Kagome was like this, he touched her and she snapped out of it. It hurt him, it truly did like nothing had before. Her power had a certain deadly shock that rushed right through him. Exploring him without his consent. Would it work again? He thought it would. Even if it hurt, he had to help her. Not even he knew what would happen if he didn't help, but he wasn't willing to find out.

He was now standing next to her, looking down at her. He stretched one hand out to her shoulder, and readied himself for her power to be released as before.

All around her, the white space turned to that of color. There were children, surrounding her, chanting. She could not hear what they were saying, only follow their lip movements. They kept moving around her in a circle, jumping happily. And then, they stopped. All eyes were on her.

She heard the same voice as before repeat, _"Who is behind the one in front?"_

Behind her, who was there? She did not know. This was all a game, she remembered it now. The person in the middle was a demon. They had closed their eyes as the children circled them, and once they stopped, she had to guess who was the one behind her. She was not very good at this game. Her brother always won.

The faces around her, of the children, they were not familiar. How was she suppose to guess who was behind her, if she did not know them. Then she felt it, a soft hand on her shoulder. She could feel the tips of claws against her skin. His scent came over her, pulling her in.

"Sesshoumaru?"

She turned around and the world around her shifted once again. Feeling rushed through her. She could feel the dirt on her knees, the wind on her hair. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw him. He was there, standing by her as he had said.

- - - -

To be continued. Hehe :)


	10. Her Awakening, My Ending

**Last Chapter -**

The faces around her, of the children, they were not familiar. How was she suppose to guess who was behind her, if she did not know them. Then she felt it, a soft hand on her shoulder. She could feel the tips of claws against her skin. His scent came over her, pulling her in.

"Sesshoumaru?"

She turned around and the world around her shifted once again. Feeling rushed through her. She could feel the dirt on her knees, the wind on her hair. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw him. He was there, standing by her as he had said.

**Chapter 10 -** **Her Awakening, My Ending. **

As he put his hand on her shoulder, he closed his eyes ready to embrace her power. His body was stiff and still, but his mind was anything but calm. What had just happened? The angel inside her had come out again. But she was not in any danger as he saw it. She was not being attacked by anyone. Was it the flower? Was it hurting her that much? He wondered what the flower could possibly be. He had seen many demon flowers before, but this one was not one. It did not have the same aurora as the others. It looked like such a pure thing, just like Kagome's wings. Then again, neither were as safe as they seemed to be.

After seconds of feeling nothing except Kagome's skin on his hand he opened his eyes. A white glow was in front of him now. He blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to this light. The same angel as before still stood before him. Sitting on the ground, looking up at him. His eyes met hers, and he noticed, they were different. They were now a bright sky blue color, with a hint of hazel. He did not remember them like this last time.

"_Sesshoumaru!" she smiled at him._

They were still staring at each other. Sesshoumaru didn't know what to say or do. "Are you alright?"

"_Yes, Im fine."_

Kagome didn't reply to his question and her face expression was still the same, blank. He noticed her wings were still there. Last time, they had disappeared. Was something wrong? No, her scent wasn't any different then before. "Kagome?"

Kagome looked up at him, smiled and then nodded. She slowly stood up from the ground. Her knees were covered in dirt. In one hand, she held the flower. It was still glowing a bright color. She brushed the dirt off of her knees and her dress. Sesshoumaru watched, a bit worried. She was acting rather strange.

"_..what's going on... why cant I... move.." She was trapped inside a small room. Around her, she could see the world moving and turning. She could see Sesshoumaru, staring down at her. But she couldn't move. Her body wouldn't follow her minds commands. 'Is this a dream?'_

Sesshoumaru was about to say something when a strange scent drifted through the air. As it reached him, he grimaced in disgust. It was the scent of rotting corpse. A strong demon auranow covered the sky. Black clouds formed over them and the moon was blocked. The only light was the one coming from Kagome. She was glowing once again.

In front of them, stood Keitaro. His eyes were glowing a deep red color. Fangs could be seen protruding from his lips. His finger nails had grown longer, menacingly pointing at Kagome. "I cant let you take that, girl."

"_Sesshoumaru! Sesshoumaru! Help me.. help..." She fell to her knees, tears forming in her eyes. "Sesshoumaru!...I cant move.."_

The priest had been possessed by a demon. For how long? Sesshoumaru could not tell. But, how did he not notice this? He should have caught on to this scent from the very beginning. Sesshoumaru looked over to the little girl. She was on the ground, her hands covering her eyes, softly crying. That had to be it. The little girl must have been forced to put a barrier up. That must also be the reason why the people of this village where hiding before.

Sesshoumaru stepped in front of Kagome and brought his sword out. "Who are you," he said calmly.

The demon grinned, "Don't worry. Ull both be dead in a few seconds. Just like all the others."

Out from the demons mouth, came a blast. It had a foul dead smell to it, no doubt it was poisonous. Sesshoumaru readied himself for the attack to reach him.

"_No! Please.. no.. let me go!" she screamed out to nothing. She could not be heard. As every second went by before her eyes, she fell deeper into what seemed to be a never ending hole. She saw as everything happened in slow motion. Through her own eyes, only they weren't hers anymore. 'Why cant he notice! why?_'

Before the attack hit him, a barrier came around him and Kagome. It protected them from the demons poison. Sesshoumaru lowered his sword and looked back to Kagome. Her glow had become stronger than before.

She began to walk forward. Once she passed Sesshoumaru, she stopped. The barrier fell, and she extended her hand once again. She still held the flower in the other. The demon smirked, "I'll get you this time, girl."

Kagome and the demon attacked at the same time. Their powers met in the middle and exploded into a bright light.

The demon screamed in pain. His arms had been burnt off along with some of the skin on his face. It growled at her. Kagome fired once again and in a second he was reduced to nothing but ash.

Sesshoumaru watched in shock as Kagome killed the demon without a word. He felt someone coming close to him and looked over to find the little girl running towards him. She fell to her knees in front of him, still crying. "Please.." She looked up at him, watery eyes. They were full of fear, but not fear of him. "Help her. Please!" He looked down at her confused.

"What are you talking about?"

More tears fell from her eyes, "Open your eyes. Look through her reflection, and tell me what you see."

Sesshoumaru looked over to where Kagome stood. She turned around to face them both. The little girl ran behind Sesshoumaru and hid. The flower in Kagome's hand turned to ash and drifted away with the wind.

"_Amarante?" A small feeling of hope ran through her mind. 'She knows. She can tell its not me.' She reached out of the black hole, out to the light. Out to salvation. She struggled and struggled, but there was no way out. There was nothing for her to hold on to. She needed help, from this nothing. This nothing she was stuck in. Frozen inside her mind, alone. She wanted to get out. She had to._

"Im sorry." Kagome extended one hand out to Amarante and Sesshoumaru as she had to the demon. "You have gotten in the way."

"Kagome-san! Wake up! Please... WAKE UP!" the little girl screamed out through her tears.

Sesshoumaru stood still, his expression still calm. "Kagome," he said softly.

"_Sesshoumaru! No! Please.. run... run away! RUN!" Kagome screamed out to the nothing. Her throat ached in pain. Tears were now coming freely from her eyes. _

Kagome began to glow. A small ball of energy formed in her hand. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, and expanded his arms as if waiting to embrace her attack. Her expression remain the same blank look, but through her eye, a tear fell down. It ran down her cheek and landed on her shoulder.

He did not plan to move. He had thought of it before. He'd rather die at her hands than any one else. If this was the path she chose, then he would accept it. Awaiting her attack, he thought of their short time together. It had not been much, but she was still able to spread through him like a virus. Infecting different areas of him slowly. His mind, his lips, his heart. She had finally won and this was his defeat. He prayed for her to be alright after he was gone. He prayed for Rin, she must pull through. And this little girl besides him, he did not know her, but she resembled so much of both these women. He prayed for her too.

"_No... no.. this isn't what I want. This isn't right. Stop.. please stop." Her tears were slowly stopping. She stood up and looked up out of the black hole she was in. Her eyes were a puffy red color and full of determination. "This is not what I want!" she screamed. She began to glow. This soft glow, it lifted her out of the nothing. Out into the light._

Sesshoumaru felt her power release and closed his eyes tighter. There was a loud explosion behind him and he opened his eyes to find him self still alive. Kagome's attack had missed him. Instead, she hit a tree behind him. The once gigantic tree now fell to the ground in ashes. His eyes became smaller out of shock. He looked over to Kagome to find her crying. Her expression was still dead and stiff, but her eyes were waterfalls. Tears ran down from her eyes uncontrollably. Her hand at her sides, were balled up into fists. He noticed, the blue eyes were now turning a deeper shade of hazel.

"Sesshoumaru..." her soft voice pierced through the sky. "Ama..rante, run."

Her eyes began to glow a white color. Her wings expanded out into the sky and lifted her off the ground. She began to glow like never before. Sesshoumaru had to shield his eyes from the light coming off of her.

"_Kagome, Kagome."_

_Kagome looked around in the now white area. Behind her, stood herself. "Who are you?"_

"_I am you," it replied._

_Kagome looked at it and shook her head, a look of hate came upon her worn out features. "No. Never. How could you? How could you try to kill them. That is not me. That will never be me."_

"_I only did what was best for us."_

"_No! There is no us. Go away. Leave me alone."_

"_I cannot, I am you."_

_Kagome smiled. She began to walk closer to the other her. "You cannot control me anymore." She extended her hand to its heart. Her hand went through its skin. She grabbed on to its heart. With a few flashes of light, the other her was gone. She opened her hand slowly to reveal the Jewel._ _She sighed and closed her eyes._

Her hands were extended out to her sides. From the tips of her nails, light was shining out to the night. From everywhere in her body, there was a shining light. Her eyes, her mouth... Sesshoumaru looked scared. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what was happening. He didn't know how to help.

Kagome's scream filled the air once again. Tears were falling from her eyes once again. She was in pain, and once again, Sesshoumaru could not stand it. He balled his fists tightly. His claws pricked his skin roughly and blood fell down to the ground. He winced and gritted his teeth.He felt so useless.

The little girl stepped out from behind him. He noticed her eyes were blank, just as Kagome's had been. "Are you alright girl?" The little girl nodded, "Yes."

She walked forward towardsthe lake. Once she got to the edge, she looked up at Kagome. Kagome was a few feet away, drifting high above the water. Her wings were slowly starting to crumble. Feathers were drifting freely in the wind all around her.

Amarante took one step onto the lake. To Sesshoumaru's shock, she did not fall in the water. She floated on it. She walked slowly and steadily towards Kagome. Once Kagome's wings were completely gone, there was a bright flash of light. She fell down towards the lake almost immediately.Before she hit the water, Amarante caught her. She was floating in the little girls hands. Amarante walked back to the shore, and placed her in the garden of flowers.

Sesshoumaru ran over to where they were. He kneeled down by Kagome's side.Her expression was soft and calm. Her eyes were closed. All around her, flowers bloomed in the moonlight happily.They gave her an enchanting look. And then, he noticed she was not breathing. Her body was frozen.

Her reached for one of her hands and held it tightly in his. She was cold, almost as ice. "Kagome..." he said softly.

The little girl besides him began to cry. "Im sorry," she sobbed, "I wish there was more I could do."

Sesshoumaru's hand was shaking. He lifted her hand up to his cheek, and then to his lips. With a soft kiss, he put it down once again. A tear glistened in his eye, but with a blink, it was gone once again. He put a hand up to her head and brushed through her hair softly. "You did good Kagome, you did great." his voice was shaky.

- - - - -

hehe! Bet you guys weren't expecting that...

Next chapter will prob. Be out 2morrow.


	11. Kiss of Life, Sweet Renewal

**Last chapter -**

Sesshoumaru ran over to where they were. He kneeled down by Kagome's side.Her expression was soft and calm. Her eyes were closed. All around her, flowers bloomed in the moonlight happily.They gave her an enchanting look. And then, he noticed she was not breathing. Her body was frozen.

Her reached for one of her hands and held it tightly in his. She was cold, almost as ice. "Kagome..." he said softly.

The little girl besides him began to cry. "Im sorry," she sobbed, "I wish there was more I could do."

Sesshoumaru's hand was shaking. He lifted her hand up to his cheek, and then to his lips. With a soft kiss, he put it down once again. A tear glistened in his eye, but with a blink, it was gone once again. He put a hand up to her head and brushed through her hair softly. "You did good Kagome, you did great." his voice was shaky.

**Chapter 11 - Kiss of Life, Sweet Renewal **

He sat their still, watching her motionless body. He was waiting. Expecting her to sit up like before and greet him with a cheerful smile. He was waiting to see her hazel eyes again. Waiting for her. He kept waiting and waiting, but nothing happened. He could no longer hear the sobs of the little girl besides him. He could not feel the wind in his hair. He was numb all over. His body.. his heart.

It was slowly, slowly cracking. Piece by piece it crumbled and fell into a never ending black hole. It consumed him, took him in. It looked warm and welcoming to him at this point. He figured there was nothing else left for him. Kagome was gone. He could not save Rin.

He gripped on to the edge of his sword, Tenseiga. What was the point of this useless sword now. Neither of them were physically injured, he could do nothing but wait and watch them die. Too many times before had he witnessed death. Most times, it was his own fault. Was this his punishment? To forever be alone? To have his heart shattered into pieces and hidden on opposite ends of the land? And once it was hidden, there would never be anyone to find those pieces ever again.

The moonlight made her pale body glow. Her bangs drifted softly in the light wind. And there was silence. A deadly silence, pulling him in.

"You love her... don't you?" The silence was broken by her voice. Sesshoumaru took his eyes off Kagome and looked over to the little girl. Yes, he wanted to scream out yes. He wanted to curse the world. To curse destiny, for taking her from him in such a cruel way. If they could not have been together, he would have at least wished for her happiness with another. For her to live, to die old. To experience life. But he was not so lucky.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes."

The little girl hadn't moved her eyes off of Kagome. "How much? How is it possible for someone like you to love this human girl? It makes no sense."

Sesshoumaru tilted his head to his side taking in her question. How was it possible? He did not know. It just happened.

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I am not sure myself. It just, developed that way. I suppose it could be described as a flower. It blossomed. I do not care that she is a human girl. I love her. I love her more than life. Destiny was not so kind to us however."

The little girl nodded, "I see." The little girl looked up at him in the eye. "Then, there is something I can do."

Amarante reached for a flower. To Sesshoumaru's shock, she was able to pick it within a second. The flower did not react to her touch at all. He was surprised, and at the same time furious. She could have done that all along. She could have saved Kagome. Saved her from pain, from death.

With the flower now in her palms, she stretched her hands out towards Sesshoumaru. "Kiss the flower. Get its nectar on your lips, then kiss her. If your kiss is true, she will awaken. This is all I can do."

Sesshoumaru did as he was told. He bent his head down towards the flower. His hair was cascading over his right shoulder. When his lips reached the flower, he noticed it had a sweet cherry taste to it. It was different however. It tasted like no other cherry he had ever eaten before. He pulled away and looked at the little girl.

"Now, kiss her." she looked over to Kagome. Sesshoumaru nodded.

He slid his hand behind her back and pulled her over to his lap. With one hand over her shoulder and the other on her cheek, he bent down to her lips. His breathing stopped. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and the space in between them disappeared. His lips pecked hers for a few seconds before he pulled away slowly once again.

All he could do was wait and hope that this would work. They both stared at Kagome in question. Did it work? Was she alive again?

In his lap, Sesshoumaru felt a pulse come off of Kagome. Then another, and another. They got stronger and stronger as the time went by. Then, her lips parted and he felt her breathing. Sesshoumaru's insides were all twisted up. He didn't know whether to jump in joy or stay still.

"Kagome," he said softly.

Her eyes slowly opened. He noticed, they were their natural hazel color once again. And now that she was awake, he had so many questions. What just happened? Why did she die? He decided, they would be answered in time.

_She walked down the dark corridor. There was no one around her, and everything was dark. In front of her, there was a long passage way. It was narrow, and on both sides, there were doors. She ran down the passage way looking through each door. Looking for him. For Sesshoumaru. "Where are you?" she screamed. She wanted his help. She wanted him to save her from this darkness. But he was not there. He was no where to be found. She was frozen, frozen inside. Were these last days just a lie? Did they mean nothing to him? Would he just sit there and let her die? "Sesshoumaru!" she sobbed. "Please... help me.. please." She slid down one of the walls to the floor. In front of her there was a door._ _She wanted to get up, and open it. To keep looking for him, but her body would not move._

_He had always been there to chase the darkness away, but where was he now? This all seemed so cruel to her. The way her heart was being played with. She knew she loved him, and she knew he felt something for her. He must have. But, would that feeling be strong enough to bring her to life. He had always been able to look straight into her soul, as if her eyes were open doors. That warm feeling he gave her, she longed for it now. "Sesshoumaru..." she said softly. She closed her eyes, more darkness. Then, through the darkness, she saw a bright light. Opening her eyes, she gasped. The door in front of her, there was a light coming from under it. This light, it was a familiar one._

_It felt like him. It held his warmness. She pulled herself up off the ground slowly. Her strength was almost all gone. But she had to do this last thing. She took one step forward, stopping after to catch her balance. Then, another, and another. She was now in front of the door._ _The light was even brighter than before. She stretched her hand out to the doorknob_ _but stopped just before she reached it. Her mind was insecure. She didn't have a clue of what was behind this door, only an assumption. And look where assumptions had put her._

_Pushing the thought away, she grabbed on to the doorknob. Her breathing became harder. Her grip tightened, and she turned the doorknob slowly._ _The door creaked as she pushed it open. The light became brighter than ever, and she was absorbed by it. The entire hallway was now illuminated by this light. This endless source. It did not seem to want to fade away._

Kagome opened her eyes once again. Everything around her was blurry. She blinked a few times. After adjusting her vision, she gasped. Above her, was Sesshoumaru. Looking down at her. Warmly smiling. "Se..shoumaru.." she said softly. Her voice was a bit shaky. Her eyes were starting to water up.

He chuckled, "You don't change do you." As a tear ran down her cheek, he wiped it away. "Always so quick to cry."

"Im sorry." He put one of his fingers over her lips. "Shhh." He lowered his head down to hers and kissed her once again. She put her hands over his shoulders and kissed him back. Still crying, tears of joy escaped through her eyes as she closed them. Once they pulled away, she smiled up at him.

"Thank you," she said.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I told you. I'll always be there for you." He took her hand in his and squeezed it softly.

Kagome sat up and looked over to where Amarante still sat. Her hands where in her lap and she looked down towards the ground.

"Amarante."

The little girl looked up quickly.

"Thank you. For everything. For realizing the truth. Your vision is incredible."

Amarante smiled and bowed. "And thank you Kagome-san. You freed us all from that demon. I am in gratitude forever to you."

Kagome nodded. "Then go. Be free. Do what you wish. Nothing can hold you back. Nothing really has ever been able to."

Amarante smiled. She stood up and walked over to Kagome and Sesshoumaru. She handed the flower out towards Kagome. "Please," she said, "take this. It's the least I could do." Kagome gasped. It was the flower. She still had a chance to save Rin's life. She took the flower from Amarante's hand and held it in her own. The little girl bowed once again, and began to walk away.

"Take care, Amarante."

The sun was starting to rise. The dark sky was now a reddish sort of color at the bottom. And the moon, it was slowly fading away. Sighing, Kagome stood up. Sesshoumaru did the same.

"What just happened?" he asked.

Kagome looked at him and smiled. In one hand, she held the flower, the other, she extended out in front of him. It was balled up. She closed her eyes, and a flash of light came from her hand. Sesshoumaru took a step back. She opened her eyes and stared at Sesshoumaru.

He felt that same power as before and took a step back. He was unsure of what to do, or what to say. He watched as she opened her eyes, then her hands. To his surprise, in the center of her palm, was a purple jewel. The Shikon Jewel he assumed. "How..."

"I can control it now. It is no longer inside me." she answered before he could finish his question.

Closing her hand once again, it was gone in a flash of light.

"Well, come on, we should start heading back. Rin is waiting."

Sesshoumaru nodded. And he thanked, whoever it was looking over him, for her life. She was now back with him, and they still had a chance to save Rin's life. There was nothing more he could ask for.

They headed back inside the temple and packed up all their things. "Are you sure you do not want to rest for a day first?"

Kagome shook her head. "No Im fine. I feel great actually. I'll explain everything to you along the way."

Sesshoumaru nodded, and they began their journey once again.

As they walked back towards Sesshoumaru's kingdom, Kagome told him of everything that had happened. She told him of what went on in her mind. Of what she could see, and how she felt. Sesshoumaru listened to her attentively. Kagome loved this part of him, of how she could talk to him and he would listen to her. He was so different from his brother. And she was thankful.

- - - -

the end?

Ha!.. no just kidding. There's still a bit more to the story, so stick around and find out what it is 'blink blink;


	12. And so, we meet again

**Last Chapter -**

Sesshoumaru nodded. And he thanked, whoever it was looking over him, for her life. She was now back with him, and they still had a chance to save Rin's life. There was nothing more he could ask for.

They headed back inside the temple and packed up all their things. "Are you sure you do not want to rest for a day first?"

Kagome shook her head. "No Im fine. I feel great actually. I'll explain everything to you along the way."

Sesshoumaru nodded, and they began their journey once again.

As they walked back towards Sesshoumaru's kingdom, Kagome told him of everything that had happened. She told him of what went on in her mind. Of what she could see, and how she felt. Sesshoumaru listened to her attentively. Kagome loved this part of him, of how she could talk to him and he would listen to her. He was so different from his brother. And she was thankful.

**Chapter 12 -** **And so, we meet again.**

He felt it, her pulse, slowly dying. It was sent through him as a soft shock. Her heartbeat, it became slower by second. Slowly, slowly drifting away into the vast emptiness, until it was gone and all the was left, were mere memories. Memories of what had been, of what could have been. It was all his fault, he figured. He was the cause of her death, of her pain, of her heartbreak. This heartbreak was the last thing he wanted anyone to experience as he had felt it many times before.

Sealed away by the one he loved, and then she died. Once she revived, she was not the same. Her soul was not complete. They could never be. Another part of his heart shattered. Then there was Kagome, he had broken her heart also. Now, only one small part of his heart stood. But it came crumbling down today, the day he felt her pass away.

He no longer felt her rays of sunshine, illuminating the night sky. Her bright eyes, her warm smile... They were all gone. And so, Inuyasha looked back over his shoulder, he stared at everything, yet nothing, in the distance far away. He cursed him self under his breath, hoping his assumption was incorrect. But there was no denying it, she was gone. He swore he hear her cry through the moonlight. It was the cry of angels dying. It brought tears to his eyes.

He cursed his brother, his wretched brother. Had he not left her in his protection? Did he not promise to not hurt her? To not lay a hand on her... How stupid could he have been, to just leave. To leave her in the hands of a heartless demon. He could not speak however, for now, he had become the same. A heartless demon. There was nothing more to say.

He jumped down from his resting place and landed gracefully on the ground. Without a sound, he headed into the mysterious forest once again. His speed was unmatched by any other creature. Never in his life had he reached such speeds.

He was breathing hard, panting, sweating, but his speed stayed the same. He had to see it with his own eyes. See her body, motionless, dead. He did not want to believe it, but his senses had never failed him before. And if it were true, he would avenge her. To kill the worthless scum who took her life. The life of such an innocent girl. Such a pure and warm creature. All along, he suspected Sesshoumaru. Everything seemed to point to him.

Not that there was much to assume on, mostly just Inuyasha's deep hate for him. He hated him, for everything. For being perfect, complete, for being everything he wasn't. And then, he pitted him. For, he was always so alone. So unloved. That must have been the reason for his cold ambience. Not that he cared, he only assumed. It had never been his specialty to distinguish between fact and fiction. And so, he continued to run, deeper, faster, into the mysteries of the forest.

Then he felt it again, and came to a halt. Her pulse, it radiated through the forest. It was slow and soft, almost too feeble to notice. But not to him. He felt it right away. It smacked him in the face. Again and again, each time stronger. Confusion came over his exhausted expression. She had been so dead only a short while ago, and now her pulse had come back to life. Stronger then ever, if he may add. 'What the hell is going on?'

He continued to run. He needed to know what was happening. To make sure she was truly alright. To make sure she was alive. And once again, to kill whoever it was brought her harm. Little did he know, his opponent was not one he could overcome.

- - - -

She stretched her hands high into the sky. It was a beautiful day today. The sky was clear, as it had been the past couple of days. She was once again amazed at the beauty of this era. It was too different from her time to put into words. Yawning, she continued with her story.

"So then, I came upon a dark hallway."

"Is that so?" he replied.

Kagome nodded. She now walked at the same pace as he. She stood next to him, not behind. To her surprise, he had offered to carry her bag for the time being.

- - - - - -

_Kagome picked up her bag, and fastened it to her back. Sesshoumaru watched as she stumbled for balance for a few seconds. He walked over to where she stood, and pulled the bag off her back. _

"_What are you – .." she watched amused as his hand with the bag in it immediately fell to the ground._ _She chuckled at him. Obviously, he had not been expecting it to weigh as much as it currently did. _

_His calm expression changed for a mere second, as he gave the bag an evil glare. Was he expecting for it to glare back at him?_

"_What do you carry in here miko?" he asked. _

_Kagome giggled, "Just a few everyday things."_

_Sesshoumaru nodded, "How does this contraption work?"_

_She smiled and walked around to his back. She lifted the bag up and told him to slip his hands in through the sides. Once its was strapped on securely, she walked over to face him._ _She couldn't help but laugh at his expression. He seemed so confused. His hair covered the back of the bag, but the straps could be seen around his shoulders. He stared back at it over his shoulder menacingly. _

"_Don't worry, its not like it's going to bite you in the butt!" She giggled. _

_Sesshoumaru huffed, "I would expect not."_

- - - - - -

"Yes. There was no one around, all there was, were doors. Never ending rows of doors. I checked through them as quickly as I could. Looking for someone, for anyone. For you." She looked over at him through the corner of her eye. He was smiling! Or so it seemed.

"And what happened?"

She shook her head and looked forward once again. "My strength was vanishing. I sat on the ground, in front of a door. I suppose you could say, I had given up hope."

She kicked a small rock in front of her. It rolled a few feet forward, but she quickly caught up with it, and kicked it once again. This time, it strolled off to far to the side for her to bother with.

"Then, from the door, there came a bright light."

She noticed Sesshoumaru's eyes on her. Watching her.

"I got up, and walked over to it." She crossed her hands and closed her eyes. "It felt so warm, and welcoming. At that point, I wanted it so bad. That light. So, I opened the door, and stepped inside... and there you where. Looking down at me." She smiled, opening her eyes once again.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "So what will become of the jewel now?"

Kagome shrugged. "Guess I'll still guard it. It was my job in a past life, and seems to still be haunting me. Might as well."

They continued to walk throughout the rest of the morning. Around noon, the stopped by a stream for a short rest. Kagome sat by the side of the water and took her shoes off. She slowly dipped her feet in the ice-cold water. They ached from all the walking she had done today, and all the previous days as well.

She felt different, since the previous night. She had seen death, right in front of her. They had shook hands, and it had taken her in. And so, she had screamed, and she had cried, and she, had overcome it. And now, she was alive. Everything was as it should be, well almost everything anyways.

There was a flower flowing down the stream. It was a deep red color, with a few shades of pink. She bent over to pick it out from the water. Sesshoumaru watched, enchanted from the tree he rested on. Sesshoumaru got up, and walked over to where she sat. Crouching, he leaned in to her ear. "Its called a Red-Blossom," he whispered. "It only blossoms once every seventeen years." Kagome closed her eyes and took in his words. "But once it does, it is the most beautiful flower of them all."

"Is that so?" she asked, opening one of her eyes to look at him.

Sesshoumaru smiled, "mhm, I believe so. Im not certain though, I cant remember it very well."

Kagome opened her eyes and grinned. She dipped on of her hands into the cold stream. "Well then, maybe this will refreshen your memory." Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. Kagome's splashed the ice cold water all over him before he had time to react.

She was now on the ground, one hand holding her stomach, laughing. "You – you should have seen the look on your face!" she said through her giggles.

Sesshoumaru grinned evilly. He crawled over to where she lied. He put one hand on the other side of her, so now, he was hovering over her. She stopped her movements and looked up at him, eyes shining. "Sesshoumaru..." He leaned closer to her, their noses were now touching. Unnoticed by her, his other hand was submerged into the stream. "Ah," he said, "Yes.. I remember it now." He pulled his hand out in a swift movement and splashed the cold water onto her face. She sat up almost immediately, knocking him over. He sat there, chuckling at her.

Putting her sudden arousal aside, she stuck her tongue out to him. "No fair!" She wiped the water off her face with her hands, and then brushed them through her hair.

Kagome looked over to Sesshoumaru as his chuckling had suddenly stopped. A serious look came over his face. He stared deeply into the space behind her. Into the forest. She turned her back and also looked. "What's wrong? Is anyone there?"

Sesshoumaru growled as he stood up. Kagome noticed a rustling movement in one of the nearby trees and looked up towards it. From the tree, a figure flew down and hit Sesshoumaru. They were both sent backwards into another tree. Kagome could not see clearly with all of the dust from the sudden crash surrounding them. She stood up quickly. After the dust had cleared, her eyes widened. She could see hints of silver, and red.

"Inuyasha?"she said shakily.

The half demon turned his head to look over at her. "So, we meet again."

**- - - - - - - - - - -**

**Note :**

hehe, yes I am evil. (does her evil laugh impression.) 'crickets chirp in the background...'

Anywho...

Im glad you guys are enjoying the story. And of course, I could never kill Kagome.. that would suck! I've planned out for the ending to be romantic instead of tragic, but im not sure yet.


	13. Guilty Minds, Truth Revealed

**Last Chapter -**

Kagome looked over to Sesshoumaru as his chuckling had suddenly stopped. A serious look came over his face. He stared deeply into the space behind her. Into the forest. She turned her back and also looked. "What's wrong? Is anyone there?"

Sesshoumaru growled as he stood up. Kagome noticed a rustling movement in one of the nearby trees and looked up towards it. From the tree, a figure flew down and hit Sesshoumaru. They were both sent backwards into another tree. Kagome could not see clearly with all of the dust from the sudden crash surrounding them. She stood up quickly. After the dust had cleared, her eyes widened. She could see hints of silver, and red.

"Inuyasha?"she said shakily.

The half demon turned his head to look over at her. "So, we meet again."

**Chapter 13 - Guilty Minds, Truth Revealed. **

His golden eyes pierced straight through her. In an instant, her body became numb and she was unable to move. Had he said something? She couldn't tell, for she saw his lips move, but his voice didn't grace her ears. These past few days, of being with Sesshoumaru, had taught her so many new feelings and shown her so many beautiful things. She learned to lose love, then to move on and find it again. A new love, a better one. A true love, the purest of them all.

As she gazed at him, however, all those strange feelings came rushing to her at once. Deep in the forests of her heart, on the forgotten sacred tree, the boy stood pined, sealed, yet pulsing and very much alive. He was awake once again, pulling her in towards him. Her hands were shaking, that much she knew. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him to leave her alone. To leave her in this beautiful peace she had felt in the last few days without him. She didn't want to go back to feeling pushed aside, or forgotten. Her heart had found its way back together again, and she wanted to keep it that way. But, she couldn't scream at him, her heart wouldn't let her. And so, the fight began between her heart and her mind.

In her mind, she still...cared for him. She didn't know if it was love anymore, but she couldn't deny that she cared. Yet, her heart, told her it was wrong. It ordered her to push him away. To condemn him to the already condemned one, which he had wanted since the very start. 'The beginning?It all started that day...'

"_Im leaving!" she had said as she ran out through the door. As she ran out, she spotted her little brother standing by the old shrine. _

"_Hey... what are you – .." _

_Her brother turned to look at her. "Nothing." Kagome noticed he had a plate with what seemed to be cat food in it. _

"_You're not suppose to play in there..." she told him as she walked closer towards him._

"_Im not! It's the cat!"_

"_Did he go down to the well?"_

_Inside the shrine, it was hard to see. It was all dark, the only light came from the open door._

"_Buyo..." Souta's voice sounded shaky and scared.__Kagome knew he wasn't too fond of darkness. "I don't know, where else could he be?"_

"_So go down."_

"_But why do I have to be the one?"_

"_Because you're the one that's looking for him!"_

_A scratching noise came from the darkness of the well house__Souta jumped up and ran behind his sister in fear. She was his shield. Kagome, crouched calmly.__She was not the type to get easily scared._

"_Ah!" her brother screamed, "There's something down there!"_

"_Yeah," Kagome said sarcastically, "the cat."_

_She stood up and walked down the stairs. She looked around the dark in search of her cat. As she felt something rub up against her leg, she screamed. Looking down, she sighed and picked up the cat._

"_You make fun at me because im scared and then you're all AH, AH!"_

"_Look who's talking Mr. why do I have to go?" Sarcasm could be heard in her tone once again._

_As another sound came down from the well, Souta's expression returned to that of fear._

"_Behind you.."_

_Before Kagome had a chance to figure out what was going on, she was pulled into the well. By what, she didn't know. It looked like a woman to her, one with many arms and a strange body._

"_What are you doing? Let go!" Kagome's hand was brought up to woman and from her hand, came a purple light. She was released and slowly drifting away from the creature. She heard it mention the Sacred Jewel. Could it be the same one her grandfather had spoken to her of?_

"_The Sacred Jewel?"_

_Blinking, she noticed she was once again at the bottom of the well. "I guess I must have fallen in the well."_

_As she looked up, she noticed a strange white light. It looked like sunlight, but that wasn't possible._

"_Hey Souta, get grandpa!" _

_After a few seconds of nothing happening, she grabbed on to some vines and began to climb up the ancient well. _

"_He probably took off, little – .." A white butterfly came past her. It appeared to have a certain glow to it like none she had ever seen before. _

_Arriving at the top, she looked around in shock. "What the..." _

_She was no longer in the shrine at her home. She didn't even think she was in Tokyo anymore. Around her, was now a forest. There was no one in sight and the air, smelled different to her. It was a more relaxing, clean scent._

"_Grandpa? Mom? Are you there?" she screamed out as she began to walk into the forest ahead of her._

"_Souta? Buyo?" she screamed out once again._

"_Its like the family shrine is not even – ..."__Kagome gasped. From a few yards away, she could see the sacred tree towering above all others. She began to run towards it, in hope of reaching her home once again. As she approached a clearing, she stopped. In front of her was a boy. He was pinned to the tree and surrounded in roots. He had silver color hair, and wore strange red garments. _

"_Is that a boy?"_

_She walked closer to the tree and started to climb up the roots. "Hey there, watcha doing?" she called out to him._

_As she reached him, she noticed he had a very strange feature. 'Oh wow, dog ears. I think I wanna... touch em!" She leaned over him and rubbed his ears a few times. _

_Sighing, she backed away. "Now that that's out of my system._**"**

That was the first day she had laid eyes on Inuyasha. He marveled her, even then.And now that she had met him, her whole life had changed. She was no longer the regular school girl she used to be. On that first day she had met Kaede, the high priestess of Edo, and also, that was the day the ShikonJewel had been ripped out of her. She was glad this all happened. She had met many great people like Miroku, Sango, and Shippou. She had also met great evil, like Naraku. And above them all, stood the soul of the one she was, but she could never overcome. Even in death, Inuyasha would never forget _her_. She knew that now. Could she call it her fault? She had been there with him, day after day, reminding him. Reminding him of the past. Of his one true love. There was nothing she could do about her face, this familiar face.All she could do was follow her beliefs, be different in her own way.

Even though it seemed so right to be with him at times, it was wrong. It was all a horrible mistake. She decided, fate itself had been mistaken and she would correct it here. With her voice, now returning to her, she spoke out to him.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha?" She looked down to the ground. Down at his feet for she could not bare to look him in the eyes. As she gazed down, she saw him take a step forward, one step closer to her. Before she could see another, her vision was blocked with long silver strands of hair a few feet away.

"Shessh – .."

"Leave, Inuyasha, or I will be forced to kill you."

"Shut up already!" she heard him say. "You say the same damn thing every time I see you. Can you just drop it! I want to know what the hell is going on here!"

As she looked up, she could see Inuyasha past Sesshoumaru. His face was angered, almost troubled. Emotion. Sesshoumaru usually never shows such emotion.

"Kagome! What the hell is going on? I felt you die. Was it this bastard? I'll kill him!"

Such language. Sesshoumaru never spoke to her like that. His voice had always been calm, even soft and gentle in a way. She caught herself comparing the two brothers once again. They had the same eyes, but they were different. They had the same color hair, but different textures. Their kiss, she could not even come close to comparing. The first time she had kissed Inuyasha had felt magical to her. It was like nothing she had ever felt. When she kissed Sesshoumaru, however, all those feelings of Inuyasha's kiss were nothing. She felt so much passion. So much love. And she knew, Sesshoumaru didn't have a reason to love her for the way she looked. For her familiar face.

"Damn it Kagome! What did he do to you?" Inuyasha took hold of his sword.

"Nothing." she finally replied. This time, she looked at him straight in the eyes. "Why are you here, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha blinked a few times, confused. There must have been something wrong with her, he thought. He was surprised that at just seeing him, she didn't leave Sesshoumaru's side.

"I felt it Kagome. I felt it when you died. I was worried damn it!" His gaze shifted towards Sesshoumaru, "It was you, wasn't it? You sick bastard!"

Inuyasha released his sword and charged towards Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru met him half way and struck back with his own sword, Toukijin.The impact of the swords sent a gust of wind flying in all directions. Kagome shielded her eyes.

She stood on the side, watching as the two brothers battled. 'Over what?' She hated this. Their constant bickers for no reason at all. She often had fights with her little brother, but she would never go as far as to hurt him. He was still a part of her family, of her life, and she loved him for that. She felt this was all wrong. Fighting. She didn't want to fight. She didn't want anyone to fight, especially if it was over her. She felt she was not worthy enough to cause so much pain as death to someone.

Her eyes followed their every movement, and her body was still. Unmoved. 'Stop, please. Stop. Inuyasha, please stop.' Her mind screamed out to her, telling her to do something, to stop this senseless brawl.And then, in the blink of an eye, she felt his pain. Sesshoumaru was sent flying backwards into a tree. He landed with a hard 'thump' and fell heavily to the ground. With one hand on his sword, he lifted himself up. The other hand covered part of his stomach. Red liquid seeped through the cracks of his clawed fingers.

'NO!'

There was a devilish grin on Inuyasha's blood-stained face. She felt anger rise up through her. Angry at Inuyasha for injuring Sesshoumaru. Angry at them both for always fighting. Angry at her self for not doing anything. Just as they were about to charge at each other again, she screamed.

"STOP IT!"

They both stopped their movements and looked over to where she stood. In her hands, was the same bow and arrow made of pure energy Sesshoumaru had taught her to use.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. When had she learnt such a trick? He did not remember her ever being able to do such a thing. He had never felt so much anger radiating off of her before. She truly had changed in these few days without him. If it was for the better, he did not know.

"Kagome, please.. im just trying to – ..."

"DON'T.. say it. You're just trying to help. I don't remember asking for your help. I don't remember asking you to fight with Sesshoumaru. To try and kill him. To accuse him for something you don't even have a clue of. I don't remember any of it Inuyasha, so why... why do you always have to take away my happiness?"

"Kagome..." Inuyasha was left speechless by her words.

The bow and arrow disappeared. She glared at him, repeating all the words she had just spoken to him. She ran over to where Sesshoumaru stood and helped him find his balance. She looked up at him. His face was dirty and cut in some places, but she could still see the real him.

"Thank you," he said.

Kagome's eyes widened. Never before had she heard those words escape his tender lips. She smiled up at him, a sweet smile. There were no words needed.

"I see," said Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome shifted their glare towards Inuyasha.

"Fine, do what you wish Kagome. It's obvious I cant change your mind anymore. I just ask one thing of you."

"What's that?" she replied. Her tone quiet and soft.

"To come and speak with Sango, Miroku, and Shippou. You know, your FRIENDS, the people who care about you. They're worried."

Inuyasha turned and began to walk away. Kagome watched, as his hair waved from side to side. She looked up to the sky, and then back down again. Her view was directed towards the forest. There, she saw _her_ eyes. Those similar brown ones. They stared at her. Then, as if realizing they had been discovered, the eyes hid behind a tree.

"Inuyasha! Wait!" she called out to him, unsure of what to say.

He stopped, but he did not turn around.

"What... what is the one thing you have always wanted the most?"

He turned to look at her, slowly. He did not understand what she meant. The one thing he had always wanted the most? He had always said, he wanted to become a full demon. But, is that really what he wanted? It never had been since the day he had met _her_.It had all been an excuse to cover up his true feelings. Thinking of it once again, 'the one thing I want the most?' The answer was clear. 'Another chance.'

He gasped. In front of him, Kagome had done the unexpected.From her hands, came a bright light. In that light, was the Shikon Jewel. He thought it had been lost. To be forever stuck in her body. This made no sense.

"This," she said, "is what you felt. This is what killed me. And Sesshoumaru, is what brought me to life."

He was shocked. Never, had he expected his brother to do such a thing. He had always thought of and remembered him as ruthless and heartless. And now, that he knew the true reason for what he had felt the past night, he felt guilt. His temper had never been an easy thing to control.

"And now, tell me, what is it you wish for Inuyasha?"

He blinked three times. "You're going to use it on me?"

Kagome nodded. "Its time to correct the mistake of what happened over fifty years ago."

Kagome looked over to the same spot in the forest. Their eyes met again.

**- - - - - - - **

**Sorry for taking so long!** I had a tough week at school last week, so I couldn't update. Now that im on vacation, I'll hopefully be able to write more.

**Ps. **Thanks for the offers, but no, I do not want a beta-reader.

**LOL** speaking of Beta readers, I was kinda tired when I wrote the end to this chapters.. so theres prob plenty of mistakes. Anyways.. good night, leave me some reviews to read in the morning!


	14. The sleeping heart awakens

**Last Chapter -**

Inuyasha turned and began to walk away. Kagome watched, as his hair waved from side to side. She looked up to the sky, and then back down again. Her view was directed towards the forest. There, she saw _her_ eyes. Those similar brown ones. They stared at her. Then, as if realizing they had been discovered, the eyes hid behind a tree.

"Inuyasha! Wait!" she called out to him, unsure of what to say.

He stopped, but he did not turn around.

"What... what is the one thing you have always wanted the most?"

He turned to look at her, slowly. He did not understand what she meant. The one thing he had always wanted the most? He had always said, he wanted to become a full demon. But, is that really what he wanted? It never had been since the day he had met _her_.It had all been an excuse to cover up his true feelings. Thinking of it once again, 'the one thing I want the most?' The answer was clear. 'Another chance.'

He gasped. In front of him, Kagome had done the unexpected.From her hands, came a bright light. In that light, was the Shikon Jewel. He thought it had been lost. To be forever stuck in her body. This made no sense.

"This," she said, "is what you felt. This is what killed me. And Sesshoumaru, is what brought me to life."

He was shocked. Never, had he expected his brother to do such a thing. He had always thought of and remembered him as ruthless and heartless. And now, that he knew the true reason for what he had felt the past night, he felt guilt. His temper had never been an easy thing to control.

"And now, tell me, what is it you wish for Inuyasha?"

He blinked three times. "You're going to use it on me?"

Kagome nodded. "Its time to correct the mistake of what happened over fifty years ago."

Kagome looked over to the same spot in the forest. Their eyes met again.

**Chapter 14 - The sleeping heart awakens.**

There was once a beautiful and powerful young priestess. She had dark ebony hair, reaching her lower back. Her eyes were a light brown color, they were always full of wisdom. At the age of seventeen, she had mastered the bow and arrow, along with her spiritual powers. She truly was a strong miko.

She had been intrusted with the responsibility of guarding the Shikon no Tama. It was not an easy task though. Many demons came from all over the land to try and steal the jewel for themselves. The priestess, however, overcame them all and guarded the dear jewel with her life. On the outside, she acted strong. She had to be. For the villagers, for her sister.She was forced to fake a smile, a laugh, a life. This burden, of the jewel, took away her life. All she ever wanted was to live a normal life. Even though she despised this life, she put duty above everything and continued to protect the jewel from all evil.

Then one ordinary day, she met a hanyou. His name, was Inuyasha.He had silver colored hair and pale golden eyes. Dog ears on the top of his head, the mark of a half demon. He, like all other demons she had come across, wanted the Shikon jewel. The priestess just couldn't find it in her heart to kill a hanyou. After all, he was still part human and she did not slay humans.

_Inuyasha ran through the forest, he was being chased by Kikyo. Another attempt to steal the jewel, ruined.She fired five arrows at him and pinned him to a tree. His legs, his arms, all stuck. He could not move. She positioned herself, ready to fire the last arow. She didn't though. She couldn't. She put the bow down, and put the arrow away._

"_Will you stop it! Why do you never finish me off?"_

_As began to walk away, she turned to look at him. "Stop coming after the jewel. I have no wish to waste more arrows." _

Inuyasha began to follow her, she could sense him almost everywhere she went. They occasionally had small conversations. Sitting on the fields and meadows of the forest, he would come down from the trees and speak with her. She once told him they were both very much alike. They slowly became closer and closer, and soon discovered they had feelings for each other.He protected her, he held her, he kissed her... he loved her.

_She sat on the hill in the forest. There was a gentle breeze, perfect for summer time. _

"_Inuyasha, I know you're watching me. Please, come join me." her voice was soft and welcoming._

_Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and sat next to her, a safe distance away. He kept his eyes on her, watching closely for any sudden movements. He did not know wether he could trust her. _

"_It is the first time we have spoken like this."_

"_What's your point?_"_ his voice was low and harsh._

_She turned to look at him, "Inuyasha, what do you think of me? Do I seem ordinary?_"

"_Huh? Where are you going with this."_

_Looking forward once again, she replied, "I must never reveal my weaknesses to anyone. I must never waver. If I did, a demon would get the better of me._ _Inside... im an ordinary woman, yet, I cannot reveal myself as such._"

_Inuyasha continued to watch her closely and listen to her words, attentively. _

"_In many ways, we are similar. Both outsiders," She looked down towards the ground, "that is why... I was unable to kill you."_

"_Hmpf" Inuyasha stood up from his place next to Kikyo. "Quit whining! We've all got our cross to bare." He turned and began to walk away, but couldn't help but to look back once more. She held a soft smile on her face, a sad and lonely one. _

"_Your right," she said, "I shouldn't complain."_

_As he saw her expression he felt guilty, for the very first time in his life. And after that day, he couldn't seem to get Kikyo out of his mind._

They both wanted to be together, but their society would never accept a human and a demon, even if he was part human. The priestess told him that the Shikon jewel could be used to turn him into a human, and then, they would be able to live together. Inuyasha agreed. He would become human for her, and she would be able to live a normal life without the burden of the jewel.

"_Me? Become a human?"_

"_Its possible. Its true that you are a half-demon, but you are also half human. If the sacred jewel of the four souls fell into the hands of a demon, their powers would undoubtedly increase. However, if it were used to turn you into a human, it would be purified. The jewel of the four souls would cease to exist."_

"_And then what? What would happen to you?"_

"_My duty is to protect the jewel. Without it, I could live the life of an ordinary woman." _

It all seemed so perfect. Almost like a fairy tale.

And then, it was all taken from them. Both Inuyasha and the priestess were tricked by an evil and vile demon.This demon, was as low as any demon could be. Once human, he gave his body to other demons in return for power. He tricked Kikyo into believing that Inuyasha never wanted to become human.

_She walked through the fields in search of Inuyasha. The jewel in her hands. Today was the day they had agreed on. She walked and walked, but could not seem to find him._

_Then, in just a few seconds, she was attacked. Her right shoulder was injured. She knew she wouldn't last long like this. The jewel fell out of her hands and landed a few inches away from her hand. As she stretched out to reach it, his foot came down on her hand. _

"_Fool! I have no desire what so ever to become human. But I shall take the Shikon jewel nonetheless. Thanks.__This jewel is about to absorb a great deal of pain and suffering when I use it to slaughter the villagers!" _

_Inuyasha turned and walked away from the dying Kikyo._

"_TRAITOR!" she screamed out to him. _

And Inuyasha too was tricked. Both these souls died that day. Their anger and despise taken along with them.

**- - - - - - - - - **

"Kagome," replied Inuyasha after a long pause, "I cant let you do that."

Kagome smiled, "Don't worry so much Inuyasha."

"No!" he yelled out. "You and I both know if you use it, it will disappear. And then, how will you return to your time?"

Her smile immediately faded.She knew this was the right thing to do, but what of her family. Would she never be able to see them again? And Sesshoumaru, would she be able to stay with him? Forever was a long time, but then again, she could meet up with every one somewhere in the chambers of time. Even if she did return to her own era, she would never be the same.

She would miss her high school life, not that she minded. She would miss the growth of her younger brother. His accomplishments, and his mistakes. She would miss everything.Was it right? For her to give up her life for the happiness of others? She thought it was. Inuyasha had lost Kikyo, and Kikyo had lost her life. Sango had lost her brother, and he his life. It did not seem fair to her that her life should be so perfect, as some would call it.

Kagome nodded, "yes, I know. And I don't care. I'll stay here."

Sesshoumaru put his hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him. He was smiling. "Kagome..." he said her name softly. She smiled at him, knowing it would be alright.She could watch over Rin, or help out in some way.

Inuyasha sighed, "I cant let you do that."

"What about Kikyo? What does she wish?"

His eyes widened. "What are you talking about."

"Why don't we ask her?"

Inuyasha blinked a few times, confused. Then, he smelt it. Her scent. The scent of a graveyard. Turning around, he saw the dead priestess walk out of the forest in their direction. The same blunt expression as always took over her lovely face.

"You don't know what you're doing. Put the jewel away."

"Please Kikyo," Kagome begged, "I know what you want! I know you want to be with Inuyasha. To retrieve your lost time. Why wont you admit it."

"Kikyo," Inuyasha said under his breath.

"It is too late for that. All I want is to rest in peace. I await the days for death to come to me once again. But it never does. This isn't a life, this is torture. I could never live with anyone else."

"Then let me help you!"

"I do not need your help. Return to your own time and leave things as they are."

Kagome took a deep breath. Sesshoumaru could sense her frustration. "Why do you have to be so stubborn!"

Kikyo turned as to walk away. She had nothing more to say.

"Kikyo! Wait!" yelled Inuyasha. His hand reached out for her.

"Do... Do you remember when you said we were both similar? Both Outsiders?"

Kikyo didn't move from her spot.

"We still are. And now, you do have the chance to become an ordinary woman. Please Kikyo. I always knew you were the only one I could ever live my life with. I do not wish to be a demon. I wish to be a human, along with you. There's no longer anyone to interfere."

She turned back to look at him, tears in her eyes. A sad smile graced her face. "You always did know my weakness."

Inuyasha walked over to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her. She continued to cry into his chest, holding him close. Dead as she was, she still cried. She could feel no pain, yet she felt everything at this moment.

Kagome smiled at the sight in front of her. The last time she had seen them like this, she felt grief, and heartache. This time, however, none of those feelings passed through her. She felt glad, almost relieved that they were together again.

She closed her eyes and held out her hands in front of her. The jewel began to glow, and she made a wish. A pure one, from her heart. She looked into their minds, into their hearts, searching. Searching for the one thing they wanted the most. And when she found it, she called out to it.

As Inuyasha held Kikyo, they both began to glow a bright white color. Surprised, they looked at each other and then at Kagome. They smiled, and looked at each other once again. What awaited for them, they did not know. The hope that they would be able to await it together is what kept them content.

The sun had began to set. They sky turned a glorious purple and red color. The light of the setting sun could be seen through the open areas of the trees. It was becoming darker and darker every minute. And then, In a flash of pure light, the entire forest was lit up.

Kagome opened her eyes. In the place of Inuyasha, stood a human boy. He had long black hair and dark brown eyes. The puppy-dog ears were now gone. Next to Inuyasha, stood Kikyo. She looked the same, but more alive. Her expression was happy one, and her body did not seem as pale as before.

Looking down towards her hands, she noticed the jewel was still there. "Huh?"

Inuyasha and Kikyo looked towards her.

"I don't understand. I thought the jewel was suppose to disappear?" Kagome looked over to Kikyo in question.

"Yes, that is what should have happened. There... must be another task for the jewel to complete then."

"Another task?"

Kikyo nodded.

Kagome walked over to her, and handed the jewel out to her. "Please, take this. It belongs to you."

Kikyo smiled. She closed Kagome's hands with her own. "You are its guardian now. Please, take good care of it."

Kagome nodded, "I will."

She turned to look at Inuyasha, eyes glittering.

He grinned, "Don't forget to come visit Sango and Miroku. They're worried about you."

"I will," she said once again.

"We'll be waiting." he said. They both turned and began to walk away.

Kagome smiled. "Bye!" she waved to them.

- - - - - - -

There was once a dead priestess, who was brought back to life. She was nothing more than a clay figure and an old set of bones. She had only half of a soul. Her heart was not complete, for it was broken, shattered into pieces. And those fragile pieces were hidden behind her despise for another.

She walked the lands, with no where to go. Aimlessly, searching for death once again, to rest in peace. But, no matter how hard she tried, death would not come. And then, she learnt the truth. The truth had always been a painful thing for one to learn. Never had she been betrayed, only tricked and blinded by hate. And so she sought to destroy this evil being who tricked her so long ago. Until that day, she would not be able to rest.

And now that it was gone, what was left for her? She couldn't go back to that someone who she loved, for she was not alive. Her body was fake, and her soul was not whole. Such was the life of the living dead.

Now that she has come across the other her, she has a choice. Stubborn at first, she rejects it. Rejects to live once again, to love and be loved once again. That someone, however, tapped into her weakness. Into the depths of her heart and of her precious memories. And now, that she is alive once again, she did not know what to expect.

She was alive, the evil was defeated, and her love had come back to her. It was almost like a fairy tale. Almost.

- - - - - - - - - -

**notes :**

**Alright! Now that im done with Inuyasha and Kikyo, I can get back to Sesshy and Kagome :)**


	15. The mysterious village

**Last Chapter - **There was once a dead priestess, who was brought back to life. She was nothing more than a clay figure and an old set of bones. She had only half of a soul. Her heart was not complete, for it was broken, shattered into pieces. And those fragile pieces were hidden behind her despise for another.

She walked the lands, with no where to go. Aimlessly, searching for death once again, to rest in peace. But, no matter how hard she tried, death would not come. And then, she learnt the truth. The truth had always been a painful thing for one to learn. Never had she been betrayed, only tricked and blinded by hate. And so she sought to destroy this evil being who tricked her so long ago. Until that day, she would not be able to rest.

And now that it was gone, what was left for her? She couldn't go back to that someone who she loved, for she was not alive. Her body was fake, and her soul was not whole. Such was the life of the living dead.

Now that she has come across the other her, she has a choice. Stubborn at first, she rejects it. Rejects to live once again, to love and be loved once again. That someone, however, tapped into her weakness. Into the depths of her heart and of her precious memories. And now, that she is alive once again, she did not know what to expect.

She was alive, the evil was defeated, and her love had come back to her. It was almost like a fairy tale. Almost.

- - - - - - - - - -

**Chapter 15 - The mysterious village**

A loud squeal pierced through the darkness of the forest. Sleeping animals were now awake. Some were running away, startled by the loud noise.It was the voice of a woman.

Kagome scooted as far away from Sesshoumaru as possible. She hit something hard and turned to find a tree in her way. There was no where left to go. She was trapped. She looked at Sesshoumaru again and grimaced.

She pointed at the object in his hands. "W..w..what is that!"

Sesshoumaru looked down at what he held. He found nothing wrong with it. Is this not what humans ate? 'What confusing creatures.' He remembered getting almost the same reaction from Rin a long time ago. But, he did know for a fact that this was an edible human food. 'Could it just be the women?'

"Do you not eat pork?"

"That's not the point!"

"Then, what is the problem?"

Sesshoumaru took a step closer to Kagome. Once again, she squealed and grasped onto the tree behind her for dear life.

She looked over to where Sesshoumaru stood, wishing he wouldn't come any closer. She didn't mind his presence, but the.. thing.. he held was just too much.She had ran out of energy bars to eat, so she asked Sesshoumaru if he could hunt something. Without much of a fuss, he agreed. And now, he was back with what seemed to be a wild bore, dead, in his arms. Its eyes were wide open, staring at her. Its tongue stuck out from its mouth and dangled back and forth as Sesshoumaru moved. There was blood all over it. She was surprised none had gotten on Sesshoumaru's white outfit.

"It's looking at me!"

Sesshoumaru truly was amused. That night, he had discovered there were several different ways to make Kagome squeal. One of them, involved spiders.

"It's rude to stare."

"Sesshoumaru!"

"Very well. What do you suppose I do with it?"

"Um... cook it. In the fire." She pointed over to the small camp fire she had made only a few minutes ago.

Sesshoumaru took his sword out and pierced it straight through the bore. He held it over the fire as the flames engulfed the once alive animal.

Kagome made a mental note: become a vegetarian! It was going to be a long night...

- - - - -

She awoke the next morning feeling rather dizzy and sick. It must have been the bore she had eaten last night. There was nothing wrong with the way it tasted, on the other hand, it had been the best thing she had eaten in days. She had to admit, Sesshoumaru wasn't that bad of a cook. Then again, even a cave man would now how to hold a dead animal over a fire until it smelt right.

She attempted to stand up from what seemed to be her sleeping bag but her attempt failed. She stumbled back down, again and again. Not only could she not stand, but her vision had not adjusted to the light of morning yet. 'Just great.' She laid back in her sleeping bag awaiting for her vision to come to her. It did, eventually.

She stretched her hands high into the sky and yawned. Looking around, she noticed Sesshoumaru wasn't there. It was rather odd, but she put the thought aside. He was probably just walking around, or, hunting something. Kagome shivered at the thought of another dead animal.

She took a strand of her hair into her hands. There were too many split ends for her to count. Her hair was a hot, frizzy, mess and it was not due to the fact that she had just awoken. She closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't mind living out here in the wilderness, but the whole hygiene problem was really getting to her. She took out a brush from her back pack and passed it through the tangles of her dark locks. After a few minutes, she decided it looked decent enough.

"Good, you're awake."

"Huh?" Kagome turned to find Sesshoumaru walking over to where she sat. "Where were you?"

"That does not matter."

She stared at him, hoping to get the truth out of him. Instead, he stared back. They remained like this for a few seconds. Kagome found it hard to stare at this golden eyes however. Her eyes shifted from his eyes to his hair, then to his lips, and eventually every other corner of his face. She blinked.

"Whatever. How much longer till we arrive?"

"We should be there by sunset."

"Good, my feet are killing me!"

Sesshoumaru watched as she packed all her belongings and stuffed them into the now enormous bag. The burden of carrying it was still his.As they passed through a river the previous day, he often had the thought of throwing it in and watching it drift away. She walked over to him, perkily, and left the bag in his hands.

"Well come on. We don't have all day." she said taking the lead.

Sesshoumaru stood in the same spot and watched as she walked ahead. He was unsure of wether he should tell her the truth or allow her to continue walking.

Kagome turned around to find Sesshoumaru in the same spot. It seemed like he was thinking extremely hard about something.

"Earth to Sesshoumaru! Why aren't you walking?"

He stared at her, deciding he should reveal the truth. "You're going in the wrong direction."

Lifting one hand, he pointed to the correct path of travel. Kagome giggled nervously.

"I knew that!" A light pink blush crept up on her pale cheeks.

This time, she trotted along behind Sesshoumaru. They continued to walk at the same pace for the remainder of the day. Kagome was feeling rather tired today for some reason. Her legs just didn't want to keep up with the rest of her body. She never had been the athletic type, and now she was paying for it.

Sesshoumaru kept an eye on Kagome as she struggled to keep up. If she did not speed up, they would not arrive before sunset.He stopped and walked back to where she was. Kagome, staring at the ground, didn't realize he had moved.

In a mere second, her world was turned upside down.

"What are you doing?" she screamed. She kicked her legs back and forth as she held on to his back for balance. "Put me down right now!" Sesshoumaru dodged a few blows to the face from her wild legs.

"No. You are walking too slow."

Kagome sighed. She knew there was no winning in this situation. "Well, could you at least turn me around?"

Sesshoumaru looked over to his side. Kagome's rear end came into view. Deciding it was rather indecent, he turned her around. "Very well."

She dangled over his shoulder as he walked at the same pace as before. Even with her and her backpack, he didn't seem to slow down. She felt like a piece of fresh meat that had just been hunted. Surely anyone who saw them would think the same thought.

The rythmatic steps Sesshoumaru took were soon putting a drowsy Kagome to sleep. Her eyelids became heavy and she soon began to see double of everything; trees, animals, rocks.She closed her eyes.

Sesshoumaru looked over to Kagome. Her eyes were closed. He smiled at the sight of the sleeping girl. She did not look the part for someone who had faced such horrors in their short life. Already, she had experienced death. But, as she slept, her innocence shown out to the world.

As he directed his line of vision from Kagome to what laid in front of him, he came to a sudden stop.He blinked a few times, not believing his eyes.

Kagome was brought out of her peaceful sleep as Sesshoumaru came to a stop. She rubbed her eyes and looked up. She still dangled over his shoulder. His face had become rather.. shocked. And she noticed, he was staring. At what? She didn't know.

She looked up ahead. There was a village.

"I didn't know there was a village here." Kagome said half asleep.

Sesshoumaru set Kagome down gently. His eyes did not move from that of the village.

"There wasn't."

She rubbed her eyes once again. Now, fully awake, she stared at the village along with Sesshoumaru. There were no people around and everything was silent. Like the village they had just come from, there was a rather large temple. This temple, was in the center of the village. All around it were the homes of the people who supposedly lived there.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Sesshoumaru walked forward in the direction of the village. He grimaced as the scent struck him head on. "I smell blood."

Kagome looked over at him in question. She wasn't sure of what to say, so decided with silence.

Looking straight ahead once again, she saw a figure run from one hut to another. There was someone in the village after all.

"Did you see that?"

Sesshoumaru nodded.He walked closer in the direction the figure had gone. As he was a few feet away from the hut, he stopped. The same figure came charging out with a sword in his hand. Sesshoumaru stopped the sword with one hand. Not much effort was needed. The figure was a young boy. Sesshoumaru took the sword from him and threw it aside. The young boy stumbled backwards and fell onto the ground.

The boy gasped at the sight of the demon in front of him. He tried to scoot back away as far as possible, but was stopped by the hut.

Kagome ran over to where Sesshoumaru stood. As she arrived, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened.

"...Kohaku?"

The frightened look on the boys face changed to one of confusion. "Huh?"

Looking at the boy once again, Kagome realized his eyes were a dark green color. Kohaku's were brown. Also, their hair color was different. This boy had lighter hair. His resemblance to Sango's younger brother was rather disturbing however.

"Im sorry. You look like someone I used to know."

The boy looked over to where Sesshoumaru stood. "Leave this village alone! There's no longer anything for you here."

Kagome crouched and put her hand on the boys shoulder. He flinched and looked over at her.

"Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt you. So, do you mind telling me what happened here?" Her voice was as gentle and sweet as always. "My names Kagome."

The boy nodded. "Im Nikko."He looked a bit more relaxed now than before.

The sun was beginning to set. They should have arrived at Sesshoumaru's home by now.

The boy stood up. "Follow me."

Kagome and Sesshoumaru followed the boy as he walked through the village. The sight was horrifying. There were half eaten bodies of people in some places and blood everywhere. Kagome wondered if Sesshoumaru could handle the smell. Inuyasha had always detested the smell of human blood. This had to be the work of demons. Hundreds of them. It looked much like Sango's village after it had been attacked. But why would they just attack this village? It made no sense.

- - - - - -

**Next chapter : The boy named Nikko.** ... I think.. lol not sure yet.

Anyways.. as I was writing this... I was wondering..

**do you guys listen to music as you write your stories? And if so.. what kind.**


	16. Darkest of Nights, the boy named Nikko

**Last Chapter - **The boy nodded. "Im Nikko."He looked a bit more relaxed now than before.

The sun was beginning to set. They should have arrived at Sesshoumaru's home by now.

The boy stood up. "Follow me."

Kagome and Sesshoumaru followed the boy as he walked through the village. The sight was horrifying. There were half eaten bodies of people in some places and blood everywhere. Kagome wondered if Sesshoumaru could handle the smell. Inuyasha had always detested the smell of human blood. This had to be the work of demons. Hundreds of them. It looked much like Sango's village after it had been attacked. But why would they just attack this village? It made no sense.

**Chapter 16 - Darkest of Nights, the boy named Nikko**

_What most people do not know, is that long before the land was divided by the different lords, there was an all powerful god who controlled all. He was neither kind nor beneficial. Under his reign, the lands went to waste. The people starved to death, for this god was too full of greed to lend a helping hand._

_He controlled the speed of the winds and the currents of the great seas. Some even claimed he could read human thought. The people of this land were once prosperous and peaceful. They welcomed this god with open hands, for the magic he could do was like nothing they'd ever laid eyes on before. This magic, however, brought death and destruction. It brought wars, amongst the people. _

_As the humans destroyed themselves, the god laid back on his throne and watched in pure bliss. He had no heart. He had no mind that told him right from wrong. And in his lavender eyes, a malicious fire burned. No one dared to stand up to the great god, for if they did, the penalty was death. Some viewed death as salvation at that point. Salvation from the heartless god. _

_The demons fought on his side. Under his rule, they too terrorized the humans. His original plan was to end humanity itself on this land. He would rule all, and the demons would become his slaves. However, before he did such a thing, he decided to have a little fun. For years, he sat back as they fought against each other. They were all pawns in his twisted little chess game._

_Then, the unexpected happened. The strongest demon of them all fell in love with a human maiden. She was no ordinary girl however, she was a young priestess. Powerful and all the more beautiful. Any man would fall at her feet with just one look in her eyes. _

_Together, the demon and priestess joined forces to fight against the evil god. For years, the war continued. Until one day, the demon and priestess finally broke through the palace gates. The demon, self handedly, took on the god. The god, however, was not very fair. He had traps set up beforehand. The demon found himself stuck in one of the many traps, unable to move. The god took the demons sword and pierced it straight through his heart._

_The young priestess watched in horror as her love was murdered. And when the god turned his back on them, she took the same sword that had ended her loves life and she pierced it straight through the god. Had she been any human, no harm would have come to the god. However, she used all of her powers to seal the god inside of the sword._

_Their task was completed. They had rid the land of this evil, only now, she was alone. That day, she vowed to guard the sword with her life. As the old wars ended, new ones begun. She created a holy place, a small village, isolated from the rest of the world. She used her powers to create a strong barrier around the village. The people of the village all followed after the priestess and they too led holy lives. They all swore to guard the sword from any and all evil. This holy village, was invisible to all._

_Before the priestess went into isolation, she made sure to rid the world of any trace of the evil god. It was as if he had never existed.__No sane human ever dared to speak the name of this evil ever again. No sane demon ever dared to seek the power of this evil ever again._

"And that," Nikko said, "is how the story of this village goes."

Sesshoumaru looked at the boy in question. He had never heard of, or witnessed such an event. Could it be that such a thing happened long before his time? 'Impossible.' He thought of it all as just some human myth. He and his father never were too close so its not as if he knew of anything that happened before his time. However, it just didn't seem right that such history was so easily erased.

"Wow..." Kagome paid close attention throughout the entire story. It really was a tragedy. Had someone told her this story in her era, she would have thought of it as just that: a tragic myth. After all she had witnessed however, she had come to believe in much more than originally thought possible.

"How long ago did all of this happen?"

"The certain time is not known."

The look on Sesshoumaru's face was an extremely bored one. He felt no need to be taught anything about history for he had lived long enough to know all. "That still does not explain what happened at this village."

"Well, over the years, our priests and priestess turned against our original views. Some of them intentionally weakened the barrier in order to allow demons to release the power of the evil god once again."

"So, that's what happened this time? And the demons killed everyone in the village for the sword."

Nikko nodded.

"Where is the sword now?"

Nikko stood up from his current position and walked over to a corner inside the hut. In the corner was something wrapped up in a white piece of cloth. Nikko picked it up and walked back over to where Kagome and Sesshoumaru sat. He laid the item in front of them and began to unwrap it.Inside, laid the sword from the legendary story.

"As the demons raided the village, the elder of the village handed this to me and told me to run. He told me to make sure to keep it safe. And so, I ran. And when I came back, I found the village like this. Everyone's dead."

Kagome stared at the boy as his eyes became watery. 'Poor boy.' She wished such people never had to experience such a life. She could tell this boy had a pure and kind soul. It did not seem fair for fate to be so cruel. 'His entire family was probably murdered at the hands of demons.'

"This sword," Sesshoumaru looked down at it, eyes unmoving, "what is its name?"

"Its name..." The boys voice dropped to that of a whisper, "_Shinryoku_." He felt rather uncomfortable mentioning the swords name.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, "Shinryoku, god's power."

"Sesshoumaru... you know of this sword?"

He opened his eyes and looked towards Kagome, "No. I don't."

Nikko began to wrap the sword up in the cloth once again. "It is unlikely that you would. There is only one demon who knows of this sword. I believe he is now dead however."

"Oh, and who is this demon?"

He held the sword in his lap. "His name, I do not know. My father once told me the story of a great demon. Hundreds of years ago, this village had an attack similar to this one. Hundreds of demons attacked, but there was one demon who protected the village. They said he too understood the horrors of the sword we guard for he had one similar to it. I believe he was an inu-youkai, the great lord of the west."

Sesshoumaru chuckled. There was no doubt in his mind that this boy spoke if his father. Only he would be foolish enough to protect a village of this kind.

"Sesshoumaru, is he talking about your..."

"Yes." his tone was low and harsh. He did not like to speak of his father.

Kagome's eyes widened. Sweat began to drip down the side of her face. She could sense it. Demons, too many to count, heading this way. Their power was pulsing through her body. She found herself unable to move. They'd come back, in search of the sword. She couldn't let them lay their hands on it. Who knew what evil they would do with it. Next to her, she heard Sesshoumaru quietly growl. There was no doubt that he sensed it as well.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome both stood up. He pushed the curtain hanging on the door aside as he stepped outside. Dark clouds were slowly eclipsing the moon as a groups of demons headed their way. He took out his sword, ready to slay them if necessary. He detested these lower demons who were so easily manipulated by promises of power.

"What's that matter Kagome?"

She stopped at the door. "Demons. They're headed this way."

Nikko gasped. His eyes went wide. "No.." he whispered. "Not again." He grabbed the sword and stepped outside along with Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Total darkness. There was almost no light.

A familiar voice called out to them, "Well well well... this, I did not expect." The voice rang over and over in Kagome's head, surely she had heard it somewhere before.

From the darkness of the sky, a large feather came floating down. It was a pure white color, easily seen in this darkest of nights. And in this fair feather, a demon sat smiling a most malevolent smile. Crimson red eyes, and blood colored lips. Her raven locks were neatly tied up and in this tie, a small white feather protruded from the left side. In her hands, she graciously held a fan; it too was white, with designs of red.

"Kagura..." Sesshoumaru stared. His face was grim and calm, no signs of emotion could be seen. He knew this demon, for he had spoken with her before. What interest she had with this village, he did not know.

Kagome stared at her, not believing her eyes. Could it have been her who had done such a cruel thing?

"Why are you doing this Kagura? Was it you that did this to this village? How could you! Do you have no heart?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. And, I have you to thank."

She lifted her fan and swung it in the air. A strong gust of wind was sent in their direction. Sesshoumaru held on to Kagome as the wind hit them. "Hold on." She did as he said. Nikko hid behind them, frightened, unsure of what to do.

Kagura smiled, "Oh, are you protecting _all_ humans now, Sesshoumaru?."

Sesshoumaru growled lowly. "What I do is none of your concern."

She vanished once again in the feather she had come on. The demons who floated above her, awaiting her commands, now headed down towards the village. Ready to attack, ready to kill.

Behind them, Nikko watched in horror as the demons approached. He held on to the sword tightly. Eyes wide, he turned and he ran. He was headed towards the mountains, away from the demons. That is where he had gone before.

"Nikko! Wait, don't run!" Kagome called out to the boy. Surely he would get himself killed if he ran off. She watched as some of the demons broke off from the group and headed in his direction.

"Sesshoumaru, can you handle this? I've got to help him."

He nodded.

As she turned to chase after the boy, he grabbed her by the wrist.

"Wha..." She turned to look at him in the eyes, his bright golden eyes.

"Kagome.." his voice was gentle and soft. Kagome blushed at the mention of her name in such a way. "Be careful."

She smiled, "I will." Before she left, she pecked him on the cheek, a gentle sweet kiss.

- - - - -

The boy's breathing had become rough as he ran away from the village. He followed the path that led in the direction of the nearby mountains. He looked back to find 3 demons, chasing him. He grasped onto the sword tighter and continued to run, faster. 'Faster, faster,' he told himself. It was no use, they were getting closer by the second.

He looked back once again and without realizing it, tripped over a rock that laid on the ground. He was sent crashing forward and the sword flew out of his hands. He forced his body to turn itself over. As far as he could tell, his hands were bleeding and so were his knees. Most of his body now felt numb to him.

The demons were quickly approaching him. He could not stand. Just as the were about to reach him, he closed his eyes. He could not bare to look at these creatures in the eyes. The seconds went by, nothing happened. He opened one of his eyes slowly. One of the demons stood over him, unmoving. There was a certain look of shock on its face. Then, it turned to ash and flew away with the wind. He forced his upper half up to find the girl from before.

Kagome, that was her name. She stood a few yards away, with what seemed to be a bow and arrow in her hands. It was like none he had ever seen before, for it shone brightly. It brought pure light into this tainted black night. And then, as she lowered her hands, it disappeared once again.

She ran over to where the boy stood and studied his body. He had been injured from his fall, that much she knew.

"Are you alright?"

The boy could say nothing, still shocked from what he saw. Maybe it was the fear of the demons who persecuted him. Maybe it was the amazing sight of this girl he had just seen. Whatever the cause he could not speak.

He nodded his head, or at least he thought he had.

Kagome helped the boy stand up, he seemed to be just fine now. He walked over to where the sword laid and picked it up once again. It seemed to be so precious to him. Its as if it were in fact, his life.

"Hm, this is going to be easier than I thought."

Kagome turned to find Kagura standing in front of them. The same smile as always appeared on the demons face.

"Tell me, why are you with Sesshoumaru?"

"That is none of your business!" Kagome shot back.

Kagura chuckled. She lifted her hand once again, and in a swift movement, another strong gust of wind was sent in Kagome's direction. Kagome and Nikko were both sent flying backwards. They landed at the edge of a nearby cliff. No where to run.

Kagome stood up slowly. Her landing had scratched her body up in different places. She stood her ground as Kagura walked closer. Then, she once again sent her wind attack towards Kagome and the boy. They were both thrown off the edge of the cliff.

Kagome's scream pierced through the night. Kagura smiled, how she was enjoying this. Her task would soon be complete.

Kagome grabbed Nikko's hand as the wind threw her off the cliff. With her other free hand, she held on to a tree root that extended out from the cliff. Her fingers were slowly slipping, she knew she could not hold on for long. Looking down, she gasped at the sight below them. A river of lava, streaming off from a nearby volcano.

Kagura walked to the edge of the cliff. She looked down to find Kagome and a small boy, hanging for their lives.

"Having fun I see."

Kagome glared up at her. It was not a look of hate, for Kagome could not truly hate her, it was more of question. Why was she doing this? It made no sense.

Kagura glared down at the boy. He was screaming for his life. Both his eyes were shut. Then as she truly looked at his face, she stumbled back in disbelief.

'Kohaku? No, it cannot be. He is dead.' Looking down at the boy, she knew it could not be him. Yet, he looked exactly the same. Hair, face, body, it all looked the same. Still, she had a job to complete. She lifted her fan, eyes still glued on the boys face. She could not find it in her heart to finish him off however.

Glaring down at the river of lava, she smiled. She could not finish him, but they would soon fall to their deaths anyway. "Hm. My job here will soon be complete. Don't hang around too long." she chuckled Kagura stepped away from the edge of the cliff and was soon out of Kagome's vision. She looked back down again, sweat was dripping down the sides of her face. 'What I wouldn't give to have those wings back right now...'

"Sesshoumaru!" she screamed as loud as her voice would allow her to at this moment. Her fingers were slowly slipping, one bye one. 'Damn it..' She chuckled, cursing at such a time. Inuyasha really had rubbed off on her. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, was this really the end?

- - - - -

He cut through the demons with little to no effort, over three dozen at a time. The demons, however, did not retreat. They kept coming, row after row, sacrificing their lives. 'Such fools,' thought Sesshoumaru.

He finished off the last few, and then, he was alone. All around him laid the remains of the week demons he had just slain. Blood, body part, insides, they all laid scattered. Sesshoumaru grimaced in disgust. Not at the actual remains, for he had killed demons many times before, but at their power. They were a disgrace to the demon race as he saw it. He, for one, would never stoop down to their level no matter what the circumstances were.

"Getting rusty, are we?" her voice pierced through the silence of the demon graveyard. Sesshoumaru turned. There, Kagura stood, fan in hand, with the same malevolent smile as before. "I must admit, you did a great job defeating this worthless army of demons. You made my job all the more easier. Thanks."

His eyes narrowed. 'What is she talking about?' Then, gripping his sword once again, he realized his mistake.

"Where are they?"

Kagome and the boy had not returned yet. Surely Kagome could handle a few low level demons. She should have been back by now. Something must have happened. He glared at Kagura, a pure look of hate.

In one swift movement, she opened her fan. "Oh, im sure they're _hanging_ around here somewhere." She made her escape on the same white feather as before. Flying away in the cool breezes of the wind, she disappeared into the darkness of night.

In the direction Kagome had headed, he heard a scream. There was no doubt in his mind it was her voice.

"Sesshoumaru!" her voice called out to him.

His eyes went wide. 'Kagome, hold on.' He ran in her direction as quickly as he could.

- - - - - -

She still had so much to look forward to in life. She hated school, but she knew she needed it. She had many dreams of one day becoming someone important. Someone who could make a change. Be the difference.

She gasped, one of her fingers slipped.

She dangled back and forth with Nikko in her free hand. This could not be the end. She was all the more worried about this little boys life. He didn't look a day over twelve years old. Already his family and friends had been slaughtered, and now... this. Survival had ultimately led to his demise. Such a strong faith this boy had. He was not very courageous and he was not strong. But, he did believe in the power of this sword he held. Surely the last of his kind, he would continue to protect the sword until the very end. And when that time came, who knew what would happen.

Her hand was getting sweaty. It began to slip slowly.

"Sesshoumaru!" she screamed out again. "Please, help me..." her voice was shaky. If it were the end, she at least wished she had a chance to talk to him, to tell him what she felt. He had kissed her and he had held her, but she had never said anything. And he, had said nothing as well. Did she love him? Her heart screamed out yes. In so many ways, he was just what she had always dreamed of. And, if it turned out he didn't return her feelings, at least the weight would be lifted off of her chest.

She was sure he was alright. Those demons would be nothing compared to his power. He still had a chance to escape. To return to his home and save Rin. He would return to his everyday normal life, as if nothing had happened. Was that the way it would be?

Death really was a confusing thing. She had so many questions, and she knew none would be answered. She thought of Kikyo, could she really call what happened to her a curse? She had died, but she had returned. All of her former questions, if any, had surely been answered. But, then there was the pain of seeing those left behind. Of old friends, family members, lost love. She decided, she would rather die and rest in peace. For in the after life, she would have all eternity to calculate an answer for her questions. And little by little, those she knew and loved would join her. Was it really that bad?

So if it wasn't that bad, why was she so afraid. Why did she continue to call his name when she knew it was the end.

"Sesshoumaru..." her voice was faint.

This was it, her hand could no longer hold them up. She squeezed her eyes as tight as she could. She bit her lower lip, not knowing what to expect. Her hand released. She felt a huge weight being lifted off her body. That weight was transferred to her heart.

And then, to her surprise, she did not fall. She did not feel the wind rushing through her as she neared the end. She did not feel the burn of the river upon her skin. She still held on to Nikko's hand, tighter than ever. And what she did feel, was _his _hand. Claws lightly brushing the skin on her wrist.

She opened her eyes. Hazel met Golden. And there, stood her guardian angel. Oh the irony some would see in her thought. A demon, thought of as an angel. To her, it did not matter. He had come for her once again. He had saved her from death once again. Its just as he had said. He would be right there by her side.

Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome and Nikko up onto the safety of the ground. Nikko collapsed onto the ground. Tears fell from his eyes. From such and experience, who could blame him. His family slaughtered by the same kind that had just saved his life. He was unsure of what to think.

As Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome up, she ran into his arms. He was truly surprised by her action, but none the less embraced her as well. She wept into his shoulder, her hands tightly gripping the material of his clothing on his back. He rubbed his hand through the back of her head, as if trying to clam her. He blamed himself for what could have just been. It was foolish of him to leave her alone. And if something had happened, he wouldn't know how to forgive himself.

"Its okay." his voice gentle and warm. It was drawing her in, pulling her closer. Her tears slowed and soon came to a stop. With just one touch, he knew how to comfort her. With just the sound of his voice, he knew how to calm her.

She pulled away slowly to look up at him. Her eyes had a certain glow to them in this dark night. And with this glow, she illuminated the entire sky. She was the stars, she was the moon, she was everything.

"Thank you," she said. That was all needed to be said. There was nothing more.

She leaned closer into him once again, into his warmth. He laid a soft kiss on the top of her head. He thanked the stars she was alright... for without her, there would be no life.

- - - - -

The all headed back to the village. Nikko led the way.

Kagome walked next to Sesshoumaru, her head leaning on his shoulder. As they walked, their hands touched. Kagome quickly pulled hers toward her body and blushed. Sesshoumaru did the same. Releasing their hands once again, after a short while, the same event occurred. This time, however, he held on to her hand. Their fingers intertwined. Her small fragile hand rested in his strong one of protection. She felt safe.

They shortly arrived back at the entrance to the village. Kagome gasped at the sight. It looked worse than it had before. It truly was in ruins. This village must have been beautiful at some time. Now, there was nothing but death. The blood of the demons and the blood of the humans seeped through the ground and met each other once again. And even in death, the battle of demons and humans would still rage on. She knew that much. It was such a sad thing. Though none of the past remained, they still lived on the same anonymous influences.

Then, a true light of hope shone. In front of them, a small orb appeared. It was a soul. A pure soul. It called them closer to it. To its warmth.

Nikko gasped, "Lady Sakura." The boy bowed to this bright light. It was as if he knew it. As if he had seen it before.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru stood unaware of what was happening.

Nikko looked back towards them. "This is the priestess I spoke of in the story I told you."

This was her? The priestess who sealed the evil god in Shinryoku. How was it possible for her soul to still be around. To survive. Was her power truly that great? She who sealed a god. She who loved a demon. She, who saved us all.

Kagome did the same as Nikko. Smiling a warm smile, she bowed for this bright light.

"I thank you," it spoke. "You protected this little one and you protected this great evil we guard from those with wrong intentions."

"Im sorry. Your village has been destroyed. There was nothing more I could do."

"Do not worry about this village. At the end of the day, a rose is still a rose. There were some who were able to escape. They will return, and we will start again."

Kagome took a deep breath. She was glad there were some who ever able to escape this cruel form of death. It surprised her that they would want to return after what had just happened however. Then again, she thought of Nikko and the way he held on to the sword when they were at the cliff. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that those people would return.

"If there's anyway we can..."

"Do not worry about us child. I know you have a bigger quest to finish, and I wish you luck. We will live on and continue to protect the world from Shinryoku."

"Thank you."

"There is one thing you must understand though. When a flower first blossoms, it is a beautiful sight. As the seasons change, it will wither up until the next time. And when it does blossom again, it is even more beautiful than the first time, but, only if you allow it to. This second blossom, you must treat it well and if you do, I assure you... it will live on. Once again, I wish you luck dear Kagome."

Kagome was surprised by what the priestess had just said. It was as if she could read into her mind. Into her heart. She understood what she had been told, but could she really express how she felt? Only time could tell.

- - - - -

**Authors Note:**

wooo... that was a looong chapter!

Incase anyone is wondering about **Kagura**, yes she is free of Naraku (he's dead.. remember?)

She did what she did for a promise of _something_.. what is not important..lol... and her task was to kill everyone in that village.

I recall reading somewhere that **Kagura and Kohaku** had become friends in the anime.. so that is why she could not kill Nikko.

Ah.. and of course.. the little history story at the beginning is **COMPLETELY** made up by my little mind :) .. don't go taking out Japanese history books on me..lol

Thank you to everyone who answered my question in the last chapter. I was just wondering if I was the only weirdo who listened to music while I write.. read...etc. Apparently not..lol. Thanks again :D

**Love, **

_**Fate's Princess**_


	17. The Girl Named Rin

**Last Chapter - **"Do not worry about us child. I know you have a bigger quest to finish, and I wish you luck. We will live on and continue to protect the world from Shinryoku."

"Thank you."

"There is one thing you must understand though. When a flower first blossoms, it is a beautiful sight. As the seasons change, it will wither up until the next time. And when it does blossom again, it is even more beautiful than the first time, but, only if you allow it to. This second blossom, you must treat it well and if you do, I assure you... it will live on. Once again, I wish you luck dear Kagome."

Kagome was surprised by what the priestess had just said. It was as if she could read into her mind. Into her heart. She understood what she had been told, but could she really express how she felt? Only time could tell.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Chapter 17 - The Girl Named Rin**

Even in this darkest of nights, the two lost souls continued to walk their destined path. The usually effulgent light shining down from the moon was a low dim this night. It transferred its powers over to the glittering stars. It seemed as if the task of illumination rested in the hands of the millions of stars. Stars were such a foreign thing to her. In her classes in Tokyo, she had been taught that stars were nothing but a big ball of gas which existed light years away... maybe. But to her, they held a much more noble purpose. Stars, they represented salvation, guidance,...love. Truly, they were the purest of all things she had ever laid eyes on. And to think, such a pure and beautiful thing will one day come to an end. And, when it does die, no one will know of its death for millions of years to come. Such a tragic and lonely death is the faith of this beautiful thing.

Kagome covered her mouth as she quietly yawned. Looking over to see if Sesshoumaru had heard her, she could not tell. He walked in front of her, slower than usual, leading the way. For him, it was no difficult task to see during the night hours. Already, she had stumbled quite a few times and nearly twisted her ankle yet again. It seemed as if every other day, she had a new injury to account for. Earlier, when she had almost fallen from the steep cliff, her knees and hands had gotten badly scraped. The skin pealed of and blood game gushing through; slowly, painfully, sending a stinging sensation throughout her body. Though now washed, the pain of moving them still remained. She continued to walk on and on though. No matter how tired she felt, she wanted to reach Rin today. They had been away for far too long.

It had been such a long time since she had laid eyes on this little girl. What had become of her? She was older now, she knew that. Maybe a year, or two? Kagome, though traveling to a different time, had never been able to keep track of it herself. Would Rin have become any taller? Would her hair length still be the same? Would she still be that little energetic girl she remembered so well? Thoughts of a small child with ebony black hair, darker than her own, danced into her mind. Her cute little pony tail off to the side, a most childish style. Her big brown eyes, much darker than her own. And of course, who could forget her bright smile. She could understand why Sesshoumaru had chosen to care for this little girl.

When they were to arrive at Sesshoumaru's home, all she had to do was prepare the flower for her and everything would be alright... right? Just this one simple task and this poor child would be saved. Much like the little boy, Nikko, Rin had no one. The only person she has probably ever truly had to protect her, is Sesshoumaru. And Nikko, he now only had the priestess, Sakura. Though she was not truly alive, Kagome trusted her. Just as she trusted Sesshoumaru. The priestess words were still bouncing around in her head, searching endlessly for a reasonable answer. She decided to follow her advice, for she had once been in the same exact situation. History truly never does end repeating itself. Was it her destiny to fall down the well that one magical day? Was it her destiny to Unseal Inuyasha and later break the jewel? Was it his destiny to break the jewel of her young heart? Destiny had become much more believable, but she had long ago decided to put it aside. And, if it was her destiny to come across Sesshoumaru, she thanked it.

"Hey, Sesshoumaru?" She called out to the walking figure in front of her.

"Hm?" He replied.

"Do you believe in destiny?"

_Destiny? _This was not a question he was asked usually. Did he believe in destiny? The answer he knew well, but why had she asked such a thing? His head turned back to look at her as he continued to walk. He noticed her eyes had a hint of red in them and two dark bags were growing under her hazel eyes. She was tired, there was no doubt in that. Already once this night, he had asked her if she wanted to rest but she shook her head no. There was no changing her mind.

He softly nodded, "Yes, I do."

She turned her head over to the side slightly. Surely she'd thought someone who'd live as long as he had would have come to forget destiny. Then again, he had probably seen it unfold, over and over again, through his own eyes. She wondered what Sesshoumaru was like as a child. Was he always as cold as she had once seen him? Did he ever experience the joys of a childhood?

"Why? I-I don't understand."

"If things are meant to happen, then they will happen. That is destiny and such a thing does exists. Then, there are those forces which interfere with it. They stop certain things from happening, but, in the end were they all a part of destinies plan? It's a never ending cycle of birth and death."

Yes, his definition made perfect sense to her. Still, she could not find herself to believe there was some great force who controlled everything she did and would do. She called upon destiny itself a few times before, and spoke of it as if she did believe. Maybe, it would be best if she did believe. She wouldn't have to worry about what the future would have in store for her because it was already written.

"But," he spoke again, "for every event, there are many paths for one to choose. Each path, has a different ending. And once you reach the end of one path, it will lead you to more to choose from. Yes, destiny is written but how things happen, is up to you."

"Oh..." She replied. Maybe destiny was just some fancy name made up to describe the word "choice." So many choices to choose from in life and so many different things would come of those choices. There are times when one does choose the wrong thing, and they will forever regret it. But, if someone truly had the chance, would they really change it all? If that one event of regret was changed, then everything after it would also change. All the times one experiences joy, and love.. it would be all gone. In the end, she had come back to the start. She decided to just follow her heart, it would tell her what to do. And, if she did make mistakes, there was no time to grieve over them for time would not stop for her.

"Why do you ask such a question?"

Kagome shrugged although he could not see her. "Just curious."

"I see. Tell me, do you believe in destiny?"

She sighed, "I don't know what to believe in anymore."

"Do not worry of it. One day, you will know."

_Yes, one day._ And she would await for that day with open arms. Ready to embrace it, ready to understand what man had distorted in millions of years. Was there really a meaning to life? Or rather yet, did a single persons life mean anything? She had learnt of so many great people in her classes. Their accomplishments, their failures, their power. But, what of the other people? The poor, and the sick. The women and the children. Surely they had accomplished many things. And, they had worked much harder to accomplish them than any "great lord." Yet, they were forgotten. Lost in the track of time. Names were erased, and stories distorted. What we see in the real world today, is far from the truth. Would her name also be forgotten? If she did not exist, would it really matter? Would things still be the same?

Lost in her thoughts, she had not realized Sesshoumaru had come to a stop. She continued to walk, bumping straight into his back. She was immediately snapped out of her dream land and brought back to reality. She took a few steps back to try to see what the cause for his sudden halt was.

"Wha–.." Her eyes went wide as she saw the incredible sight in front of her. It was a giant palace, at least 7 stories high. All around the outside, it was completely made of brick. As the moonlight shone upon them, they had a certain glow. It was like nothing she had ever laid eyes on before. Surely it must be an illusion. An enchanted palace now stood in her path. What was she to do?

"We've arrived."

Kagome looked towards Sesshoumaru and towards the palace again and again. He wasn't kidding. This truly was his home. Well of course, where else did she expect a lord to live? On the streets, in the woods? Perhaps in a small hut? No, in this grand palace. As they walked closer, it became all the more real. All the more tangible. There were two guards at the palace gates. And what lovely gates they were. They had a unique design, never seen before. All silver, they too shone like a star in the moonlight.

As the guards noticed Sesshoumaru approaching, they opened the palace gates. With just one look at him, the guards became frightened. They needed to do everything perfectly, or who knows what could happen. Sesshoumaru hated this look of fear he was constantly given. Yet, he knew it was the only way to be properly respected. Especially by demons. The guards eyed Kagome suspiciously. Looking at her up and down, they wondered what it was she was doing with Sesshoumaru. A human nonetheless. Was she some concubine he had picked up along the way? From the way she was dressed, that was the first reasonable explanation they came up with. Though curious, they dared not ask the great lord who she was, or why she was here.

Kagome picked up her pace to keep up with Sesshoumaru. She walked next to him as close as possible. The looks the guards had given her were frightening. They looked like hungry dogs, ready to attack their pray. To feast again and again on the remains. She was beginning to dislike this place. As they neared the doors of the palace, she tilted her head up to view the top of the palace. It had no end, it just kept going, higher and higher.

"Come this way." Sesshoumaru held the door open for her, inferring her to go inside first. As she stepped inside, she was truly in shock. It was furnished in the richest of silks, and great pieces of art hung on the walls. There were many different colors scattered throughout the palace. And the floor, it was not dirt nor hay but marble. She could almost see her reflection as she stared down towards it. Sesshoumaru was far less primitive than she had ever imagined. A man of a great many secrets, she had come to find out. And surely, there were many more he still held. Everyone has a secret, even she. But can they keep the secret their entire lives? Especially a secret that hurts so much as hers? That burns on the inside and tears your heart apart? Such secrets are not meant to be kept.

They walked through the wide hallway, doors on both sides. All of the doors were professionally decorated with a gold trimming. They were made out of wood, but not just any wood. It was the finest she had seen during this era. They stopped in front of a single door. Rin's room she assumed. He grasped onto the doorknob and turned it. The door creaked gently as he pushed it open. The light from the hallway slowly made its way into the darkened room. It was creating a path of illumination. And then, as that light reached a small being, it stopped. Kagome stared at the sleeping figure that was Rin. Her features did not look peaceful at all. She seemed to be in great pain, plagued by something or perhaps someone. Was it her dreams or was it her illness? And what was this so called illness? She had forgotten to ask Sesshoumaru. Then again, he probably did not know. No one knew. It would have been better to just have taken her to a modern day hospital. They could surely cure her better than any flower could.

Other than her expression, the little girl had not changed as far as she could tell. She still had the same color hair, with the same old style. But, did she still have the same eyes? Were they still full of light? Full of a certain burning fire?

"She's sleeping." She stated the obvious.

"Yes, we'll wait until morning. You should also get some rest. You look tired."

"Im fine." Kagome yawned and quickly cursed herself for it.

Sesshoumaru eyed her suspiciously. She new there was no arguing with him at this point though. As he went to close the door, a gentle voice broke through the night. It was the voice of a small child. It was a weary low voice. She could barley speak.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" And even though her voice was rather hoarse, it had a hint of excitement to it. Of a child who had just received a present.

He opened the door once again, staring at the small figure, now trying to sit up.

"Rin, sleep."

"Wait! Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin has missed you!"

He took a candle from the hallway and walked inside the room. Kagome followed. "Hi there Rin," she said in her friendliest voice.

Rin gasped. "Kagome-san?"

Kagome smiled and nodded.

"But, why is Kagome-san here?"

"She has come to help." Sesshoumaru replied.

"Kagome-san will help Rin?"

Kagome nodded. "I'll do all I can."

"Is Kagome-san going to stay with Rin?"

Her question took her by surprised. She opened her lips as if ready to reply yes, but nothing came out. Was she going to stay? Sesshoumaru had said she could, hadn't he? But wouldn't she just be getting in the way of things? She couldn't just move in to his home as if it were nothing.

"That," his voice broke the silence, "is for Kagome to decide." He looked straight into her eyes as he said those words. As if he too were searching for the answer to this little girls question.

Rin smiled. She looked happier now than when she had been asleep. "Rin has always wanted a little sister!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes grew wide with shock. Kagome chuckled at the little girls statement. Would Sesshoumaru be producing and sisters for Rin anytime soon? Thoughts of Sesshoumaru as a father filled her mind and she couldn't help but to laugh.

"Im sure you'll get one someday Rin." Kagome patted Rin on the head. "Now, go back to sleep and I'll see you in the morning, alright?"

"But Rin is not tired!"

Kagome sat down on the side of Rin's bed. She looked just like her brother had when he was younger and refused to go to bed. It seemed, whether in this era or her own, children were still the same. They'd get easily excited over candy, and as easily cry if it were taken away.

"How about I tell you a story then?"

Rin's eyes immediately lit up. "A story?"

"Yes, but only if you promise to go to bed after."

"Rin promises!"

"Okay then. Let's see... There was once a beautiful little princess. She had bright brown eyes, which shone both during the day and during the night. And when she smiled, everyone couldn't help but to smile as well. She brought joy and happiness into the hearts of both young, and old."

Sesshoumaru stood a few feet away watching as Kagome spoke to Rin. She spoke to her gently, and lovingly. She smiled at her, and looked at her, as if she truly did care for this little girl. This girl, whom she barely knew. Whom she had risked her life for. And as he looked at them, he couldn't help but smile as well.

"But, one day, something happened. The once bright and beautiful princess lost her voice. She could no longer speak, or sing. She would not smile anymore, and the brightness in her eyes was slowly dying. And, as her brightness faded, so did everyone else around her. She decided to run away from home, for she could no longer handle her emotions. Alone and lost, she surly thought it was the end. And then, as if he were an Angel swooping down from heaven, her savior came. He brought happiness back into her life. She was smiling again. She was laughing again. And soon, her angelic voice returned. And do you know what happened to her?"

Rin shook her head vigorously.

"She grew up to be a great queen. Kind and loving to all. Her kingdom was the greatest in the world."

"Really?" Rin said as her voice was getting softer. She yawned.

"Really."

"What about her angel?"

"He stayed by her side. Always protecting her. Always bringing light into her life when she was in doubt."

Rin smiled. She quickly entangled herself in her bed sheets and laid down once again. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Goodnight, ma..m...a." She was asleep.

Kagome's eyes widened. _Mama?_ _Did she just call me mama?_ Still uncertain of the little girls words, she replied, "Goodnight, Rin."

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**Note: **Sorry for taking so long on the update xx school has be horrible this past week. Anyways, here's what you guys have been waiting for, they finally reach Rin. :)

And I know I received some messages asking when I would update or if the story was done.. I tried to reply but my computer wouldn't cooperate with me..lol sorry . 

Oh yeah, I also started a new story, **Once upon a December**. I guess its for this time of the month or something...lol dunno. If you guys have time, check it out.

**http/ **


	18. Darkness in your eyes

**Last Chapter -** "Really?" Rin said as her voice was getting softer. She yawned.

"Really."

"What about her angel?"

"He stayed by her side. Always protecting her. Always bringing light into her life when she was in doubt."

Rin smiled. She quickly entangled herself in her bed sheets and laid down once again. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Goodnight, ma..m...a." She was asleep.

Kagome's eyes widened. _Mama?_ _Did she just call me mama?_ Still uncertain of the little girls words, she replied, "Goodnight, Rin."

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**Chapter 18 - Darkness in your eyes**

Kagome slowly walked out of Rin's room and gently closed the door behind her. Rin was such a sweet girl. The thought of this girl being in almost fatal pain brought sadness to her. She was glad she had a chance to cure her. To save her life. Rin still had so much of life to experience. She really was a lucky girl to have been brought back from the dead by a demon. Maybe it was fate. And surely if it was, this sickness she had acquired could not be meant to be her demise. Kagome wouldn't let it be. That, she promised herself.

Sighing, she looked up towards the speechless Sesshoumaru besides her. Sesshoumaru stared down at her in wonder. This girl had easily won Rin's trust long ago. And now, with just a few words, she had also won Rin's love. Just as easily as before. He could tell from the atmosphere of the room he had just been in. There was a certain connection between the two girls.

Lost in their thoughts, neither had realized they had both been staring into each others eyes. Blushing, Kagome looked away.

"So..." Her voice seemed to snap him out of his thoughts. He blinked a few times and looked at her again. The first thing he noticed was the light blush on her face. He smiled an adoring smile. Bring his hand up to her face, he gently lifted her head up so she was looking at him. His golden eyes had a certain shimmer as they looked down at her caramel eyes.

She opened her mouth slightly as if to say something, but nothing came out. She didn't know what to say at a time like this, and certainly not what to do.

"LORD SESSHOUMARU!" The well known voice broke his stare. He let go of Kagome and turned to find a little green creature running towards him.

His skin was completely green. Black eyes, slit pupils, a toad demon. He wore a red outfit and a little black hat on the top of his bald head. In his hand, he held a wooden staff. At the top of the staff, an old man and woman were carved. From the old mans head, fire sometimes came out. The servant came up to his master and bowed.

"What is it Jaken?" Sesshoumaru's voice was demanding.

"I..I...I did not expect you back so soon Lord Sesshoumaru." Jaken spoke without looking at Sesshoumaru in the eyes. He respected his master deeply, but fear was greater.

As he stared past his master, he noticed there was someone else there for the first time.

"You!" he pointed accusingly. "What are you doing here?"

Kagome took a step back. "I..erm.."

"That is none of your concern." Sesshoumaru shot back to Jaken.

Jaken flinched. "Im sorry Lord Sesshoumaru! Please forgive me. I did not know what I was saying." The little green demon got on his knees and began to bow down over and over again for his master.

Kagome sweat-dropped at the mere site of this. Jaken seemed like such a coward to her. She wondered why it was that he stuck around with Sesshoumaru. Was their bond greater than what she had always thought it was? Sesshoumaru was so cold and unfriendly towards his loyal retainer.

"Leave us."

Jaken looked up towards Kagome. His eyes attached to hers. His look was a wicked one. One of hate.

"Now!"

Jaken immediately stood up and ran back in the same direction from which he came.

"Come this way." Sesshoumaru led Kagome down the hallway to yet another door. He opened the door and motioned for her to step inside. Behind the door, was a room like she had never seen before. A large bed with silk covers, beautifully designed, and fully furnished. Not to mention, a balcony at the far end of the room.

"This is your room."

Kagome stared at it in shock. This beautiful thing was _her_ room. "Are you serious?"

"Of course."

"Wow..."

She walked slowly around the room, exploring every corner. Kagome stepped out onto the balcony for a look at the view. It was completely breathtaking. Sesshoumaru's entire kingdom could be seen from this one balcony. The endless forest, spreading out in all directions. And of course, the ocean. Staring at it, Kagome realized how different it looked in this era. It seemed so much more pure and clean.

Sesshoumaru walked over to where she stood in the balcony.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

Sesshoumaru did not stare at the forest or the ocean. Not even the moon or stars took his attention. He could only keep his eyes on the being that was Kagome.

"Yes," his voice softly replied, "beautiful."

Kagome took her attention off the ocean and looked over towards him. She smiled.

"You should get some rest." He took his hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Kagome could feel the warmth of his touch spreading throughout her body. "You look tired."

Kagome nodded slowly, still staring up at him. "I will."

"I will come for you in the morning."

Kagome nodded once again. With that, he smiled then turned to walk away. He gently closed the door behind him as he exited the room, leaving Kagome alone.

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His malicious laugh broke through the darkness which surrounded him. Walking over to a steaming pot with liquid inside, he added another ingredient to it. As he did so, his grin grew wide. His plans had not gone as he had expected them to, but he could work with the current situation. The liquid inside of the pot shone a bright green color. He leaned over the pot and took in the scent of his concoction. _Perfect!_

Opening a book which sat besides him, he turned page by page, searching for the right one. Once he found it, he grinned and cleared his throat. With one finger, he pointed to the first line of the strange text within the book. Using his sharp nail to guide him from line to line, he read the forbidden words. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard on the task. Everything had to go right. This was his only chance.

Setting the book down, he smiled. "Two birds with one shot." His eyes held a shimmer like never before as he spoke these words. Too long had he awaited for this day. Everything that was originally his would soon be his again.

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She laid in the guest room appointed to her by Sesshoumaru, half awake.. half asleep. Her body yearned for rest. For a chance to heal itself. Her legs ached from all the walking she had done the previous days. But her eyes would not close. No matter how hard she tried, they would just pop open once again to the sight of the roof. She knew she needed rest, but it would not come.

All around her, the room was consumed in darkness. The only faint light was that of the moon coming in through the balcony. Kagome turned in her bed and stared at the moon. Her eyes fixed on its enchanting glow. Then, as easily as the moons shine had come, it was gone. Covered by a dark cloud, the moon shone no more. Surrounded in complete darkness, she heard a strange sound. Footsteps, they were coming down the hallway, walking at a slow, rythmatic pace. Then, they stopped, in front of her door. She heard the sound of metal clanging. It rang through the walls of her room. Then, the sound of the footsteps began again, this time quicker. And in just a few seconds, silence surrounded her again. _It must have been one of the servants_, she thought.

Sitting up in her bed, she pulled the covers off of her and stood up. Leaving the comfort of her bed, she slowly walked over to the door, making sure to not bump into any objects along the way. It was too dark for her to see anything. She grasped onto the door knob and slowly opened the door. Sticking her head out into the hallway, she looked both ways, searching for the cause of the sounds she had just heard. Nothing. Everything was dark.

As she adjusted her eyes to the darkness of this night, she looked down towards the floor. Her eyes widened at the sight that sat there. "Wha...what's going on?" Looking up and down the hallway once again, she still saw nobody.

On the floor in front of her body, laid a dagger. The handle of the dagger was golden, decorated with many different colored jewels. Two silver snakes intertwined as they circled the length of the handle. One of the heads of the snakes seemed as if it was ready to attack on its prey. The other, had its eyes closed, almost as if it was in a peaceful sleep. On the blade of the dagger, there was a strange text engraved.

She bent over to pick up the dagger for a closer look at it. Grasping onto the handle, she could feel its icy cold touch upon her. Shivering she tried to turn to enter her room once again. Nothing happened. She tried to move her hands. Nothing yet again. _Oh no. Not this again._ She could see everything around her, but she could not move. As she opened her lips to say something, barely any sound came out. "He..lp.." It came out as just a faint whisper in the silence of the night.

She began to walk straight down the hallway. One foot in front of the other. As she passed a torch which hung on the wall, her eyes became clear. They were faint, almost completely dim. They no longer had any signs of happiness, or life. They were not eyes which could be held by any human being. She continued walking straight ahead, down a path she recognized. Stopping in front of a single door, she stared down at the door knob. _"Oh no..." _Her heart began to race faster. Her mind was pounding in her head. Screaming to be set free from its current cage. To be able to breathe.

She opened the door and stepped inside of the dark room. She stared at the small figure sleeping peacefully in her bed. Slowly walking up to her, she stared down. Rin grasped onto her covers as if they were a stuffed animal or another person. Her expression was a happier, peaceful one. Not like the one Kagome had first seen when she arrived.

Her eyes narrowed on Rin's sleeping figure. She raised the dagger above her head, ready to bring it down just as quickly at any moment.

"_NO!"_ Her mind screamed. There was no sound, only the darkness of this night. She tried to call on the power of the jewel. She concentrated its power as much as possible, but nothing happened. It was almost as if it was completely gone. She cursed as she thought of another approach to this situation.

Above her head, her hands were uncontrollably shaking. Her body tried to bring the knife down towards Rin, but Kagome resisted with as much strength as possible. She held onto that resistance for as long as possible. She couldn't let this happen. She would not let Rin die, especially not by her own hands. She would never be able to live with herself if such a thing happened.

She gritted her teeth. Tears started to fall down from her eyes, those now lifeless eyes.

"Sess..." She gasped for air as if she were underwater. She was gaining control of her body. "Sesshou..." She gasped again. Her tears began to fall faster and faster, a deadly color of sin.

The small sleeping figure stirred in her bed. Rin sat up to be greeted by Kagome's figure. The little girl Yawned and rubbed her eyes quickly. "Kagome-san?" Rin blinked a few times. "What's going on?" She stared at the dagger above Kagome's body and her eyes widened.

"Rin," Kagome's faint voice called out. "Rin, please...run."

The little girl looked over towards her with two confused eyes. She didn't understand what was going on. Why was Kagome holding that dagger? Sesshoumaru had always told her to stay away from such things, but this was Kagome-san. What was she to do?

Kagome felt her strength withering away. Her shaking hands were becoming stiffer and stiffer again as they had first been. Her eyes, darker than before. Closing her eyes, her last bit of tears seeped through. The dagger came down at a deadly speed.

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Sesshoumaru shot up from his bed, now fully awake. Something didn't seem right. He could sense it in the smell of the air on this night. Walking over to the door, he stepped out onto the door way. The smell got stronger. It was one of fear, of sadness, of confusion. It was that of Kagome. His eyes widened.

_I shouldn't have left her alone._

Using that speed which was granted to demons of his kind, he raced down the hallway towards the source of the problem. The sight before him made his heart skip a beat. Surely his eyes must be deceiving him.

"Kagome..." His voice cracked. His body shook. What in the world was going on?

In front of him, Rin sat upright in her bed. Her eyes covered tightly with her hands. Tears falling down the side of her face. Then, by Rin's side.. Kagome fell to her knees. Her hands tightly held onto a dagger, which was now plunged into her stomach. Blood ran down from the wound onto her hands and onto the floor. Kagome turned her head to look at Sesshoumaru. "Im...sorry.." She whispered. Kagome closed her eyes and slowly fell backwards onto the floor.

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Okay.. Lol chapter 18 done. So...you guys are probably wondering why I try to kill Kagome every other chapter or something right? Lol ... well.. Its not that im TRYING to kill her in my story or something.. Its just that these things needed to happen for the ending that I have planned out. Like this one, for example... is very important. Without it.. My ending wouldn't make much sense.

Anyways.. Next chapter coming soon. Enjoy :)


	19. Never Forget

**Last Chapter -** AKagome... His voice cracked. His body shook. What in the world was going on?

In front of him, Rin sat upright in her bed. Her eyes covered tightly with her hands. Tears falling down the side of her face. Then, by Rins side.. Kagome fell to her knees. Her hands tightly held onto a dagger, which was now plunged into her stomach. Blood ran down from the wound onto her hands and onto the floor. Kagome turned her head to look at Sesshoumaru. AIm...sorry.. She whispered. Kagome closed her eyes and slowly fell backwards onto the floor.

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**Chapter 19 – Never Forget**

He rolled his small hands into a fist, uncontrollably shaking. This was not what he had planned. This is not how it was suppose to happen. Sighing...he closed his eyes. True, this was not what he had expected at all. He never thought that feeble girl could break through his spell if even for a second.

AOh well… his malicious voice rang. Sitting back in front of his concoction, he closed his eyes. It was far from over.

His voice rang out again as he began to chant unknown words. It would prove to be an interesting night after all.

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He still stood at the door way, unable to move. Never in his life had he had so many unknown questions bouncing through his head. What in the world had just happened? His golden eyes did not move from Kagomes motionless body. He awaited for her to stand up and greet him with a bright smile once again. He awaited and awaited but nothing happened. All he could hear was Rins sobbing. All he could smell was the slat of tears, and the stench of blood.

Sesshoumaru slowly walked into the room towards Kagomes body. He was still awaiting for the world to stop spinning in front of his eyes. He was still awaiting for feeling to return to his stiff body. Kneeling down in front of her body, he stared at her lifeless eyes, they were still staring at him. Their dark color sent a shiver through his back. Her tears left a mark down both sides of her face. Even though he could see no emotion in her expression, he could feel her pain. He could feel it with the last words she said to him. AIm sorry. What did she mean? What was she to be sorry about. These past few days had been unforgettable…thanks to _her._ _ Why? Why did she do this?'_ His mind screamed at him.

He gently placed his hand on her cheek. She felt cold, dead. With his fingers, he wiped away the stains left by her tears. With his hand, he closed her dark eyes and closed his as well. He could not look at her like this. For the first time in his life he knew he wasnt strong enough.

Rin jumped down from her bed, tears still fell from her face. She ran over to Sesshoumaru and jumped into his arms. They felt like the only protection to her. She sobbed into his chest, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Was Kagome really gone? Why had she done such a thing? The little girl let her tears fall faster and faster. It was all she knew how to do at this time, cry.

ASesshoumaru-sama? She sobbed.

Opening his eyes once again, they were glued on Kagome's motionless body.

AYes, Rin? He responded. His voice was softer than usual With more feeling than usual.

AIs Kagome-san alright?

Sesshoumaru sighed. _ Is she alright?_ .. No.. He knew she wasnt alright. He didnt know if she would ever be alright again, he could only hope that there was some sort of miracle awaiting to happen.

_Her body felt like it was tied up and locked up in a small box. She could not see or hear anything, there was only darkness surrounding her. She felt frightened. She did not know what was going on. The last thing she remembered was Sesshoumaru. The look in his eyes. It had been a surprised one. It was almost as if she had felt his heart skip a beat in her chest._

He felt a pulse come from Kagomes dead body. It was a weak one, but he felt it. He stared at her body in disbelief, it was impossible. He had just witnessed how she had plunged that dagger straight into her body. There was no way she could still be alive. Sure, Kagome was no ordinary human, but there was no way a human could survive such a blow. True, she did have the power of the jewel to help her, but it itself did not protect from death, it only provided eternal life.

"Rin…" Sesshoumaru pulled Rin and gave her a worried look.

"I want you to go find Jaken and stay with him. Alright?"

He felt another pulse come from Kagome's body. This one was much stronger than the one before it. He would have been thankful at feeling some sort of life coming from her body, but not now. The pulse he felt was a dark one. It didn't feel like Kagome at all. It was something much darker. He recognized this pulse. But it baffled him as to where he knew it from. Could it be Naraku? Could it be that he was not dead after all and had now come back for revenge?

_No, impossible_. He had witnessed his death with his own two eyes. So if it wasn't Naraku… who was it? His patience withered away by the second.

Sobbing, Rin nodded her head. She proceeded to the door and ran down the hallway.

Now that Rin was safe, Sesshoumaru proceeded to find out what was going on. He stood up from his current kneeling position, not taking his eyes off of Kagome as he did.

The pulses were now increasing in number, and in strength. Sesshoumaru tightly grasped onto his sword. _What am I thinking!_ He cursed himself. No matter what was wrong with Kagome, there was no way he could use his sword against her. It would kill her with just one swipe. If she was alive, there had to be another way.

To his surprise, Kagome's eyes popped wide open. Through the darkness he could see the dark color of her eyes. They were now tinted a reddish color. Almost robotically, she stood up from her position on the ground. Sesshoumaru took a step backwards. His stance was as alert as ever, ready for any incoming surprises. Kagome grasped on to the dagger which she had plunged into her stomach. With no pain whatsoever passing through her face, she pulled the dagger out as if it were just a toy. More blood gushed out through her open wound as she did so. Kagome stood up; her eyes were fixed on Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru stared at Kagome confused. He knew something had to be controlling her body, but what? Could it be the Jewel again? _No._ This did not feel like the jewel had felt the last time. Even though Kagome had no control of her body last time, it still very much felt like her. Which is partly why he had not noticed anything wrong with her at first. This time however, he sensed it right away. Whoever it was doing such a thing, was not very good at it. They could have at least made a spell to hide their presence.

_She concentrated her energy, hoping for a way out of this imprisonment. As hard as she tried however, nothing happened. It was as if all of her power had been stripped away from her. There was no way to escape, that was true… but there was still one thing she could do. When she first acquired the Jewel, Kaede had taught her a little trick. This time, she concentrated her power a different way. She did not try to escape her holdings…she merely tried to find who it was that was doing this to her. _

_She felt her own energy crash upon another. It felt dark to her and sent shivers through her. The second the other presence hit her…she recognized it. She had felt it before, she knew she had… but who? Who was it? Who was doing such a thing to her? Who… who would try to kill a little girl?_

_So many thoughts rushed through her head. As the whirlpool spun in her mind, it all of a sudden came to a stop. It was fixed on one image. On one person. _

_Kagome gasped. "No……"_

Sesshoumaru grimaced as the figure that was once Kagome grinned at him. Then, without warning, the figure raced towards where Sesshoumaru stood. Holding the dagger out in front of it, it aimed for Sesshoumaru. Without much effort, Sesshoumaru dodged the attack. Whoever it was controlling her was truly not powerful at all. The one advantage that they did have, was the fact that Sesshoumaru would never harm her. He could just keep dodging its attacks, but how long could he last like that? Kagome swung the dagger towards Sesshoumaru again, and again, and again. Each time, he dodged it with as much accuracy as the last.

Quicker than before, Kagome plunged at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru attempted to dodge the same way as he had before, however, this time it failed. The dagger cut through his garments and made contact with his skin. Blood rushed down the side of his shoulder. _Damn_ He cursed himself. _I should have guessed._ She was studying his moves, each time becoming more accurate. This was not good. Not good at all.

Sesshoumaru looked over to where the figure stood. Grinning, it brought the dagger up to its face and licked the tip of the dagger. Sesshoumaru grimaced once again in disgust.

"What's wrong, Sessh-ou-maru?" It taunted. "Have humans really made you this weak?"

Sesshoumaru growled at the comment. His eyes now had a hint of anger in them. He hated to be called weak, and most of all, he hated to be degraded by mere humans.

Sesshoumaru grabbed Kagome by the neck, lifting her up off of the floor. Kagome grinned once again.

"Kill me," she struggled to say, "show me that you're not weak." Her voice was becoming horse by the pressure being applied to her neck.

Sesshoumaru stared down at her face. What in the world was he doing? This was not right. No matter how much this creature taunted him, he could not let it get to him. He could not risk hurting Kagome. His grip around her neck loosened and he let her fall back down towards the ground.

"Just as I thought," she mocked.

"I will not fight you. Show your true self if you wish to fight."

Kagome grasped onto the dagger tighter as she stood. "Awww, come on now… that would be no fun."

As Kagome ran closer to Sesshoumaru, he grasped out to the hand with the dagger. Holding on to her wrist tightly, he made sure to not let go. Unexpected by him, she brought her knee up and made contact with his abdomen. The blow hurt, he had to admit, but he did not let go. He squeezed her hand tighter and tighter. On her face, he could see no expression of pain. However, he could feel her skin loosen as his grip tightened. With a loud clang, the dagger fell out of Kagome's grasp and towards the floor. Sesshoumaru let Kagome's body fall down to the floor. It laid still, unmoving as before.

So many thoughts rushed through her head. She could not believe what she had just sensed. It just didn't seem probable or possible. All around her, the darkness began to shift. It turned into a light blur now. She could smell the blood in the air, her blood. She could sense the pain through her body. Bringing her hand up to her wounded stomach, she gasped for air. Her entire body shivered. As the darkness around her cleared, she realized she was back in Rin's room. But, where was Rin? Was she alright?

Using all her strength, she attempted to look around the room. The first thing she spotted was Sesshoumaru. He stared down at her. His expression was an angered one, but she could tell he was confused.

"Sesshoumaru…" she called out to him.

"Kagome?" he asked confused.

"Rin," she whispered through her hoarse voice, "where's Rin?"

Sesshoumaru studied Kagome for a second. Was it truly her again? He felt her pulse rush through him. It was not a dark one anymore. It was the one he had always remembered. The one he could never forget.

"Kagome," he gasped. Kneeling down towards her, he helped her sit up. "Are you alright?"

"That doesn't matter!" she said frantically. "Where's Rin?"

Sesshoumaru's look of confusion grew. Why was she acting so strangely?

"Do not worry, Rin is safe. I sent her to stay with Jaken."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Jaken?" She screamed.

Kagome suddenly stood up from her position on the ground. Her mind flushed and her body ached, but that didn't matter to her right now. All that mattered was Rin's safety. If she was right about what she had felt, then Rin was in danger.

"We have to find her!" Kagome urged at Sesshoumaru.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Its him," she said, "he's the one that's been doing all of this. It's Jaken, I felt him."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. Everything suddenly made sense. That pulse he had felt come off of Kagome before, it had been Jaken's energy. Sesshoumaru growled, his eyes turning red. Who did that little green creature think he was? What was he trying to do? Sesshoumaru only knew one thing, the second he found him… he would tear him into little pieces.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome rushed down the halls of the palace. Sesshoumaru couldn't sense Jaken and neither could Kagome, but there was one thing he could do. Rin's scent still remained in the air. He followed it quickly, hoping to not be too late. They stopped just as they reached the entrance of the basement. _So this is where he is._

Kagome grasped onto the doorknob and pulled. It was locked. Growling, Sesshoumaru broke the door down. He had no time for dumb games with a lesser youkai. They looked around the inside of the dark basement. All either could see were the shadows of different objects stored away in the basement. Then, out from the shadows, came two small figures. First came Rin. She had a frightened look on her face. Around her neck, was a knife. It was being held by the other small figure, Jaken. _So much for being a trusted retainer. _Kagome thought.

Sesshoumaru pulled out his sword, his eyes glowing furiously red.

"What do you think you are doing?" He screamed. His voice was full of anger, loud and strong. It made Kagome jump at its sound. She never imagined he could sound like that. Just looking at him like that brought fear to her.

"You will see Sesshoumaru-sama, this is for the best." The little green creature stumbled through his words as he replied his lord.

"let her go," Sesshoumaru demanded, "NOW!"

Jaken jumped and took a step backwards, still holding on to Rin.

"Humans have made you weak my lord. They have stripped away all of your power little by little. I'm only doing this to help you. You will see. And in the end, you will thank me."

"You're crazy!" Kagome shot back at his comment. She imagined what it would be like to just rip his head off and cut him into little pieces. What Sesshoumaru had seen in him was far beyond her knowledge.

"Shut your mouth girl!" He replied. Lifting up his long finger, he pointed a sharp nail at her, "This is all your fault. It's because of you that I have to do this. If any blame should be given, it should come towards you!"

Kagome heard a loud growl come from Sesshoumaru. She knew his anger was rising by the second, but he was holding back because of Rin. He didn't want to hurt her. But, something had to be done before Jaken got to her.

Kagome concentrated her energy towards her hands. In a few seconds, her bow and arrow of pure energy had surfaced once again. She thanked the jewel and Sesshoumaru for this power, it had really come in handy a couple times before. Positioning herself to attack, she glared over at where Jaken stood. She had made a promise to save Rin, and she did not intend on breaking it.

"Let her go," she said coolly.

"Ha!" Jaken snorted. "Do you really plan to shoot that arrow?"

"Kagome…" Sesshoumaru called from besides her.

"Don't worry," she said softly, "I know what I'm doing."

Sesshoumaru had only known Kagome for a few days, but already he felt like he could completely trust her. So he did. He left Rin's life in her hands for this second. He left all his trust in her.

"Very well." Sesshoumaru put his sword down, now much calmer than before.

Nodding, Kagome glared back over to Jaken.

"Well," she said, "what's it going to be? Are you going to let her go, or am I going to have to kill you."

"Ah, I see why you like her Sesshoumaru-sama. She's a feisty one." Jaken snickered.

Kagome gritted her teeth to hold in her sudden shock of anger. She only had one chance to do this, and she had to aim just right. She would not risk the life of Rin.

"Fine." Kagome said as she took a deep breath.

She closed her eyes for a second, concentrating all of her strength into just one arrow. She could Feel Jaken's aura, tainted dark and repulsive. She could also feel Rin's, so innocent and young. Even with her eyes closed, she knew exactly where they were. She knew exactly where she had to aim. When she found that spot, her eyes flew open. Then, with one swift movement, the arrow released.

Rin closed her eyes, not wanting to see what would happen. She trusted Kagome very much, but this frightened her. And the way Kagome was acting earlier that night frightened her all the more.

Jaken could see Kagome's arrow coming straight at him. Ready to pierce through him and send him to another world. He tried as hard as he could to move, or to just move Rin in the path of the arrow. He found his body unable to move however. It was as if he had a sudden spell cast upon him. Could it have been the magic of this girl? His slit pupils widened all the more as the arrow came closer and closer. Brighter and brighter. He screamed loudly, full of fear. Then, his scream was gone, and all was silent.

The arrow had pierced straight through his heart, or at least where he was supposed to be holding such a thing. For a second, he felt nothing as the arrow hit him. Then, its burning sensation started to spread throughout his body. The temperature was rising uncontrollably. Letting go of Rin, he back away, body shaking.

Sesshoumaru saw an open opportunity for attack. He took his sword and ran towards where Jaken stood. With one swift swipe, he was gone.

Rin opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Kagome. Smiling, she ran towards her. "Kagome-san!"

Kagome took Rin in with two open arms. She could hear Rin's soft sobs. "Is Kagome-san alright?"

Kagome placed her hand on Rin's head.

"Im fine now. Don't worry."

Kagome sighed in relief. Everything was fine now. Rin was better. Jaken had been taken care of and could no longer harm anyone. Even knowing all of this was true, there was still something else that made her feeling of relief wither away. Her body felt week, almost too week to hold herself up. She brought her shaking hand up to her stomach. The wound was still there and it was still very much bleeding. Just how much blood had she lost? Her body was becoming pale, and her vision was a little blurry. She forced herself to stay conscious however. She did not wish to frighten Rin or Sesshoumaru at a time like this.

Moving out of Kagome's arms, Rin ran towards where Sesshoumaru stood. "Sesshoumaru-sama." The little girl called out to him. Her voice sounded strange in Kagome's mind. She could faintly hear her anymore. Maybe it had not been such a good idea to use the power of the jewel earlier. It had drained her of the last of her strength. Without realizing it, her body gave in. She fell to the floor, unconscious. Her hand still wrapped around her open wound.

At the sound of Kagome's body hitting the ground, Sesshoumaru ran over to her side. What was the matter, she had been fine only a second ago. He looked to where her hand laid, tainted with blood. His eyes widened. Her wound, he had forgotten about it.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru called, "please go wake the servants. Tell them we need medical help, now!"

"Yes Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin replied and raced out of the basement. He could hear her footsteps rushing through the halls.

He lifted Kagome's light body into his arms and carried her away.

"Hold on Kagome," he softly whispered, "hold on."

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He sat by her side all night. Her wounds were now patched up, and he felt her breathing return to normal. That same rhythmatic pace that now had him hypnotized. He awaited there just to make sure she would be alright. To make sure she would wake up in the morning to greet him once again.

The thing that baffled him the most was that Kagome seemed to be in constant danger around him. Wasn't he suppose to protect her? It seemed as if he was doing exactly the opposite. In their time together, she had gotten attacked countless times. She had died once, and now almost died again. Was it that they just were not meant to be?

He loved this creature in front of him now. He knew and admitted that. But even as much as he loved her, he couldn't stand seeing her harmed. He'd rather live alone for eternity than have such a thing happen. He had already been able to be alone for over 900 years, a few more hundred years wouldn't be so bad.

He looked around her room. One single thing caught his eyes. A flower. The same flower that had caused all of this. It laid innocently on a desk, forgotten by time. He stood up and walked over to where it sat. He picked it up in his hand and could only stare at it. What was he to do with it? It was not needed anymore. Now that Jaken was dead, the spell cast on Rin was broken. He could just throw it out the window and let it fly away in the air, but he didn't. It was as if the flower itself had cast a spell on him.

The hours of the night passed slower than ever. It was almost as if morning did not wish to come. As if it just wanted to lay in bed all day. Sesshoumaru couldn't blame it, he felt about the same way right now. He knew what he had to do, but it hurt him to just think of it. Especially when he was so close to her. He could hear her breathing, he could see her soul. But, what he had decided was for the best.

The light of dawn broke through the balcony curtains and into Kagome's room. As the light hit her, it formed a glow upon her body. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but stare at her beautiful and clam features. The way she always seemed to be so angelic without even trying.

Kagome rustled in her sheets as the light from the sun made contact with her. She slowly opened her eyes, her vision was a little blurred. Blinking, she adjusted her eyes to the light. She felt the sting from her wound rush to her, but it was not as painful now. Looking around the room as if to remember what had happened, the first thing she saw was Sesshoumaru. Then, it all came rushing back to her.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"How are your wounds?"

"huh?" Kagome looked down to her stomach. Placing her hand over where the wound was, she grimaced. "Oh, better than last night I suppose." She giggled.

"I see."

Kagome yawned and stretched in her bed. She really needed that rest. Her body felt almost brand new once again. She didn't even know where all of this energy was coming from, but she was glad it was there.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru stumbled, uncertain of how to say the next part of his speech. He knew it would hurt her, but it was the only way.

"Hm?"

"When… when do you plan to return?"

Kagome blinked. "Return? Return where?"

"Home."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat.

"You did say you were from another time right?"

She slowly nodded, almost as if automatically. What did this mean? Did he want her to leave? Did he not care for her?

"Do you wish for me to leave?"

_NO!_ His mind screamed at him. That's the last thing he could ever wish for. He wished she could stay by his side forever. He wished for so much, but it was not able to happen. He'd rather wish for her safety… for her to be able to have an actual life.

"I believe it would be the best." He replied, cursing himself internally.

Kagome formed into a little ball on her bed, tightly grasping on to her knees and laying her chin down on top of them. "Very well then. I'll leave today."

"Today?" His heart pounded in his chest. "Shouldn't you get some rest first?"

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed. She could feel her heart ripping into little pieces. "No, I'd rather go now." The sooner she was away, the sooner she could forget about him. Such a thing seemed almost impossible to her however. She had never felt about anyone the way she did about Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru stood up and turned to walk out of the room. The small frown on his face and sad look in his eyes were now hidden. He just wanted to sweep her up into his arms and kiss her for an eternity. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her to not be sad. But he couldn't.

"Very well." He said softly before he left the room.

As soon as he had left, a soft tear fell from Kagome's eye. She let it slowly come down the side of her cheek only to end at her lips, leaving a bitter salty taste. Which was in fact how she felt, bitter. She let another tear fall, and another, but not a sound escaped from her lips. If this is what he wanted, then she would do so.

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Kagome met Sesshoumaru at the front of the palace. She had all of her things packed and was ready to go. The hardest thing so far to do was say her goodbye's to Rin. She had just made her another promise, one which she knew she could not keep. She had promised to come back and visit. Although it was possible, she could not stand having to come back and see Sesshoumaru. To constantly be reminded of him. Maybe going back to the future wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

They began to head back towards Kagome's village. The village which she now knew so well. Where she had begun her crazy journey. She wondered how Sango and Miroku were. Inuyasha and Kikyo… Kaede. Were they doing well? Should she stop by to see them one last time? She decided not to, it would be for the best. She did not feel like getting emotional on a day like this. It was beautiful outside. The sky was clear and everything was just so alive. Everything except Kagome. She felt dark, almost empty inside.

As they traveled through the woods, neither spoke a word to one another. They just continued to walk forward, as quickly as possible. Every now and then, one would make a quick glance at the other through the corner of their eyes. Neither aware of the others action.

Kagome's head ached like never before. What in the world was she doing? The same question kept ringing through her thoughts. The truth was, she had no idea. All she knew, was that if she stayed around Sesshoumaru, her heart would truly break. She was using all her strength to just hold back her tears. Over their time together, she was sure he had to have felt something for her. She could feel it in his touch, in the warmth of his kiss. So, if he did care… why did he want her to leave?

As they arrived at their destination, Kagome's heart began to race. Quicker and stronger, pounding through her chest. Just a few yards away, in an open field, was an old ancient well. It seemed so much more alien to her now than it had all the other times. It seemed to be the one thing that did not fit in. All around it, there was a great forest, filled with beautiful flowers and little animals. Then, there it was, in the middle of it all. Unnoticed my life and frozen in time, yet very much alive. And if the well had not been there, would life still go on? Would the flowers and the forest die? Would the animals cry? Just for once, she wished the well was nothing but an illusion, nothing but a trick in her eyes. As she neared it however, it became all the more real. All the more palpable.

Kagome stopped in front of the well. She could feel Sesshoumaru's presence behind her.

"Well," she said, "I guess this is goodbye." Her eyes began to water, but she would not let her tears fall.

Sesshoumaru watched in pain as Kagome struggled with her emotions. How he wished to just hold her close at this moment and take her back home with him.

"Goodbye, Kagome."

She stood there frozen, staring at him, awaiting him to say something else. The seconds went by and nothing happened. Finally giving in, she turned and sat on the edge of the well, ready to jump in. As she was about to do so, she heard his voice.

"Wait!" He called out to her.

Kagome turned, baffled. "Yes?"

Out from his kimono, he pulled out a flower. The Moonlight Flower. "I want you to keep this. Please treat it well."

He took her hand softly and placed the flower on it. Leaning in closer to her, she could feel his hot breath by her ear.

"Never forget…" His gentle voice said. With that, she felt her body being pushed into the well, consumed by its magic. As it did so, she let her tears fall freely. Uncontrollably.

"Never forget?" She repeated to herself. "How could I?"

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W00t, only one last chapter to go and then the stories done. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter… it took me a while to just figure out what it was that I wanted to do with it.


	20. Blossoming Love

**PLEASE READ**:

Authors note -heh...did you guys think I was dead or something? Lol. Sorry for not updating in FOREVER. I wanted to finish this story so badly, but with all of my classes and exams.. I never had the time to do so. But now, its summer, and here is the last chapter as promised. I hope you guys enjoy it, I know I had tons of fun writing it.

And I'd just like to thank everyone who read the story and wrote me all of those wonderful reviews. I never imagined I could have 300 + reviews, but it has become a reality. So once again **Thank you all.** and I hope you've enjoyed this Blossoming Love..

**Last Chapter:** "Wait!" He called out to her.

Kagome turned, baffled. "Yes?"

Out from his kimono, he pulled out a flower. The Moonlight Flower. "I want you to keep this. Please treat it well."

He took her hand softly and placed the flower on it. Leaning in closer to her, she could feel his hot breath by her ear.

"Never forget…" His gentle voice said. With that, she felt her body being pushed into the well, consumed by its magic. As it did so, she let her tears fall freely. Uncontrollably.

"Never forget?" She repeated to herself. "How could I?"

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**Chapter 20:** **Blossoming Love**

_You walked into my life,_

_not knowing what to expect._

_The anger and darkness that filled me frightened you,_

_but something kept you from leaving me._

_Not knowing why you're still here,_

_your mind is a roller coaster of thoughts,_

_and feelings you never expected,_

_But strangely you never wanted them to end._

_I could see your feelings grow for me;_

_the lust in your eyes cannot be mistaken,_

_with each day it grows more and more,_

_like the moon in the night's sky._

_You're still confused on why you stay,_

_Knowing that your life could end at any moment._

_The danger you're in, from just being with me,_

_excites you in a way you never knew existed._

_What you don't realize is that I know what you are feeling;_

_you generally love me for the person I am._

_What you don't know is that I am not a person at all,_

_but a creature of the night, a creature that could kill you at any moment._

_And yet I let you stay, knowing what I could do,_

_I fear that I might have feelings for you._

_They grow with each passing moment of time we spend together,_

_but I could never let it go too far, for you would never come back._

_So as I watch you, and see your love grow for me,_

_I know that soon you will be gone forever._

_And somehow you know this too,_

_but you're not afraid you're numbed by your lust for me._

_As I watch you die, knowing I could have stopped it,_

_I tell myself that you meant nothing, but we both know that's not true,_

_I truly loved you and look at what I did to you._

_- **By Felicia Renee McCormick**_

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Her hair danced wildly to the magic of the well. It filled every inch of her body, her soul, and mind. There was no escaping its powerful spell. The magic gently set her down on the cold damp ground. She sat there motionless for a mere second before a scream like no other escaped her precious lips. It tore through the light of the day, making everything dark. It brought fear to the nearby animals, making them quickly scurry away from the event. It was a scream of sadness like never witnessed before. So much anger, regret and love.. all at the same time. Tears escaped freely through her eyes, falling carelessly towards the ground and forming their own river of salt, a river of regret. She wondered, would things have been different if she had refused to leave? Would he still have told her the same things?

"_Do you wish for me to leave?"_

"_I believe it would be the best."_

She sat in a pure pit of darkness. The only light available was above her near the top of the well. She, however, did not wish to stand. She did not wish to get out of the cold and into the warmth. All she wanted to do was peacefully die. 'Maybe,' she wondered, 'if I close my eyes, they'll never open again.' And so she attempted, but it was clear she was here to stay. She could still feel his presence, even across so much time. His intoxicating scent. Was he still standing at the other side of the well? Did he ever care? Or had he just left the second she fell, and forgotten everything that had happened? Good riddance.

The bright light above her head quickly turned a darker red color as she sat in the well. Had she sat there the entire day? She could not tell time anymore. What was time anyways, if nothing but a simple well could break through its spell? She was covered in dust and dirt, her bright eyes now a tinted brown. Using all the strength she had left, she pulled her self up and out of the well. The scent of the city hit her as soon as she stepped out. It was so different. She almost felt as if she could not breath.

Kagome walked over to the entrance of her house. All the lights were off, and all was quite. Her family had not returned yet. Searching behind a flower pot, she found a spare key. The sight of the flowers made her pause, if only for a second. White flowers, angelically glowing. Looking around, she noticed no other flowers were like these. Its as if they held a special power over all who gazed upon them.

"_I want you to keep this. Please treat it well."_

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the flower that Sesshoumaru had given her. With one last look at it, she placed it among the other white flowers. She wanted it to continue to spread its roots and live, if only for a short while. _For eventually, all would come to an end._

The inside of her house felt so alien to her now, she had been far away for such a long time. A dark forest now strangely felt more comforting. Looking at herself in a mirror for the first time in a while, she did not recognize the person which she saw. Tears were still falling down her face, but she could no longer feel them. Her eyes and nose were a puffy red color. She wiped away her tears, for the last time she decided, and quickly washed her face. She had never been a strong person emotionally, but this is not how she wanted to live. Her strings of fate were never ending. It was almost as if she was doomed to never find love for as long as she lived. So what after death, would her soul be doomed to the same fate? But she knew death wouldn't come so easily to her. Not as long as she had the power of the jewel with her.

And so she was torn in two. The task of protecting the jewel was a deeply important one, she knew that was true. But what of her own life? It would be anything but normal with this new addition. She still was not sure of what it had in store for her. She did not even know whether or not she would age to that of a simple old woman. Was she doomed to the same fate as..as Sesshoumaru?

Walking into the darkness that was her room, she laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. So many thoughts ran through her head. And to her, it did not feel fair. He stole her heart from the first kiss, that she knew. And then he ripped it up into little pieces and threw them at the mercy of the violent wind. Had the ice prince really kept his tittle? She knew he was a good person deep inside somewhere, everything that had happened couldn't have just been one big lie. So if it wasn't a dream nor a lie, why had it ended the way it did. Fairy tails form when she was a child came to mind. There always seemed to be a beautiful princess and a prince. And the stories always ended happily. Was that too much to ask for?

She decided that it would just be best to forget everything that had happened.

"_Never forget…" His gentle voice said._

After all, what was there to remember? Turning over in her bed and pulling her soft covers over her body, she closed her bloodshot eyes. If her life were not to be what she hoped, maybe in her dreams she could find the sweet happiness she had searched for.

"_Never forget?" She repeated to herself. "How could I?"_

The happiness she had felt everyday around _him._

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He dared not blink, as in fear of missing anything. Not a mere second ago had he pushed his life down the never ending pit which humans called a well. Never before in his life had he felt so many different emotions all rushing to his mind at the same time. It was intoxicating his soul, driving him mad.

He knew what he had done was for the best, he did not want her to live the way he did every day of his life. Always having the constant fear of being hunted down by competitors. Survival of the fittest, was what he had been taught and soon learned to be true while on his own. Yet she had taught him so much in their time together. It was as if she brought him to a whole new world of perfection..and in this world, nothing except love mattered.

Mere words could not describe the way he felt about her, and those same words could not describe the pain he felt in his heart at this moment either. Her scent still surrounded his every being. She was gone, but it remained.. constantly reminding him of how much he wanted her to be here with him. Of how much he needed her. Of.. how much he had grown to love her.

Leaning over the rim of the well, he stared down, expecting to see her bright eyes staring back at him...just one last time. But alas, all that was there to greet him was the cold ground. Letting his eyes close for just a second, he slowly backed away. He knew that he still had to continue even if she was gone, but all of a sudden, everything seemed so much more distant.

He could still feel her presence, if just a small amount across the distance of time. And what he felt tore his heart in two. So much pain within her soul. He just wanted to make it all go away. To apologize for ever even bring up the topic of her farewell. Sighing, he backed away from the well and walked off. He did not want to dwell on what should not be.

Day after day, Sesshoumaru returned to the well where he had said his last goodbyes to Kagome. Its not that he expected her to one day come back after what he had done to her, it was just the feeling he got whenever she was around. The field was always so peaceful and beautiful, two things he admired. Two things which he never forgot about her. Her scent was long gone, yet her presence always seemed to be nearby. It calmed him whenever he was troubled or angry.

Back at his home, everyone wondered about him. They were always asking where it was he left to during the day. They worried for him, but he did not care. He would come to the well sometimes and just sit for hours, enjoying the quiet tranquility of the place.

He did wish he could see her one last time though. His guardian angel.

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The years passed by like petals falling from a flower and drifting away with the current of the wind. Never forgotten, but no longer there. Kagome groaned as the light coming from her window tore her out of her beautiful dream. She dreamt she was in a garden, right when all the flowers were at full blossom. It was so beautiful, and somewhat familiar to her at the same time.

Looking over towards her alarm clock, she realized it was already past nine. She rushed out of bed and got dressed for her morning classes. It had been a 4 years since Kagome graduated from high school. She managed to pass all of the classes she was struggling in, thanks to the help of her little brother that is. He always seemed to be there for her whenever she needed him.. no matter how annoying he really was.

When she entered college after her graduation, she emmidiatly knew what it was she wanted to study. History was her major, especially feudal history. After all that she had been through since her first year of high school, she had come to love the past. She wanted nothing more but to continue with that love into something she could do for the rest of her life. It was the only thing that truly made her happy. It was humourous to her whenever tales of demons and princesses were brought before her. Her teachers tried so hard to point out all of the symbolism of each character in the tale. Little did they realize that it was all too real. The demons were not symbols for power hungry people..but in fact, just what they were described as.

It was mid-spring, and also the last day of her life in college. She would soon graduate and continue with her life. She had already planned to become a history teacher, but so many options still remained open to her. Even with so much ahead, she still felt empty somehow.

Kagome missed her family dearly and had not seen them in quite some time. She had planned to visit them the past winter, but she fell rather sick. Not to mention the weather at the current time. She decided to visit them over this spring vacation, there was so much catching up to be made.

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Sesshoumaru slowly noted as time went on, that demons had begun to change. Since the Sacred Jewel had left the presence of his era, they really had nothing to fight over, except territory that is. But those land disputes soon came to an end. Along with the increasing time, humans began to change as well. They had different weapons, stronger ones. And it came to the point where demons were no threat to them.

Most of the demon race died out on its own. Some were just careless, and others were just too weak to be able to live in this growing human world. Sesshoumaru, however, decided to continue living, if just for the moment.

He watched closely as Rin grew up into a lovely woman. The little girl within her never seemed to part from her side. She soon took on a husband and went off to live with him. Sesshoumaru kept a close eye on her, making sure she was being treated well and that she had everything she needed. She was truly like the daughter which he had never had.

He also kept a close eye on his brother, Inuyasha. He had never dared to call him his brother before, but now he finally understood. He knew why his father had done what he did and he also understood why his brother did the same. It was funny actually, how they had all followed the same path one way or another. He supposed that he had _her_ to thank. Were it not for what she did to him, his heart would probably still be frozen over. He would still have everyone locked out.

He never touched another woman, for he continued to love her even though she was not there. He would wait for her forever if needed. What would another thousand years be to such an old demon. He would not let himself be wiped out by the increasing human population, one way or another. Not to mention, he was eager to lay eyes on this future which she spoke so fondly of.

He visited his fathers tomb one last time. It felt so haunting to him when he really took the time to acknowledge it. Most of it had been destroyed by the fight he had once had with his younger brother. Once upon a time...when he was still a power hungry demon and his brother a hanyou.

Laying a single flower in front of the gigantic structure, he bowed.

"Im sorry for everything, my father."

He could feel his presence still surrounding him. The all powerful demon lord. Sesshoumaru felt regretful for ever hating him. For ever having the urge to kill him. This was his way of telling him that. Somehow, he knew his father understood. He was always a wise demon.

Both Rin and Inuyasha lived out their lives and eventually died. Sesshoumaru continued living, hidden from the rest of the world, but always keeping a close eye on them. Always searching for her scent, for her presence. Until the day, when he finally found it.

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She stood outside the doors to the temple. It felt so nice to finally be home. This place brought back so many different memories and feelings to her. The good along with the bad all mixed up together. Coming up to the entrance of her house, she saw something unexpected. There, in a little pot next to the door, a flower sprouted. Its vines stretched out from the pot, surrounding the entire doorway and most of the side wall. It looked absolutely beautiful. She had never visited her home during spring since she left. The flowers on the vines were not blooming yet, which came as a surprise to her.

Studying it closer, she realized just which flower it was. The same flower she had left there on her return from her last visit in time. It shocked her that it still continued to live, grow even. Kagome had never forgotten about all that happened on her last trip in time. Even though she told her self she would forget, she was never able to. She didn't want to in fact. She never wanted to forget about _him._

It took her time to realize it, but she could not be angry with him or what he did. She could not have possibly stayed there. It would have ruined her future, and also torn her families heart in half. And at the same time, its not as if she could just take his own life away and bring him with her. He was a demon, and she a mere mortal. Would he have even be able to live in this human world?

Sighing, she made her way to the door and entered her old home.

"Mama.. Souta..Granpa, im home!" Kagome called out as she entered her home.

After the loud sound dishes clashing together and a scared cat running out from the kitchens direction, she was welcomed by her mother.

"Oh Kagome, is that really you. Im so happy to see you again." Kagome's mother walked up to her and held her tightly in a large embrace. It had been such a long time since she had seen her daughter.

"Ew, whats _she_ doing here?" A now deep voice came from the direction of the stairs.

"Souta! Don't speak like that about your sister!"

Kagome looked over in the direction of her no longer little brother. He had grown much taller than she remembered from her last visit. His face had somewhat changed, matured, but she could still see the little boy within him.

"Ah, Souta...its nice to see you finally went through puberty!" Kagome responded with a sheepish grin on her face.

Souta's cheeks turned a light pink color in response to her older sisters comment.

"Hmph." He crossed his arms and looked off to the side.

Neither Kagome nor her mother could resist the urge to laugh at this moment.

"I've missed you too." Kagome said in between giggles.

"Hey, wheres grandpa?" Kagome asked as she noticed there was a missing member of her family.

"Oh, dear, Im afraid that he's actually on a trip right now. He should be back in two days however." Her mother replied.

"Oh that's fine. If you don't mind, im going to go upstairs. Im a bit tired from my trip."

Her mother nodded, motioning that it was alright.

"Yeah, you could use A LOT of beauty sleep!" Souta said as he laughed out loud.

"Why you little..." Kagome began to chase after Souta. One thing that had not changed about her was her thin temper when it came to her little brother.

"Glad to have you back sis!" Souta screamed out as he ran for his life.

Sighing, Kagome's mother returned to the kitchen. "Things have not changed." A small pleasant smile could be seen on her face.

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He watched her from the shadows of a nearby building. She was still as he had last remembered her. She still had the same intoxicating scent, the same smile. Her hair had grown out much longer than before though. It now reached passed her hips and bottom. Its dark ebony color making her locks all the more beautiful to him. Her caramel eyes still had the same spark to them which he had never been able to forget.

She looked so happy. His plans had been to confront her, and speak with her... but all of a sudden he just felt like dying. Something deep down just told him that if he were to interfere, he would just ruin her happiness. Maybe it was just all of the butterflies squirming around his insides. It had been so long since he had last seen her. And she was all the more beautiful now than what he last remembered.

He wondered if she remembered him. If she ever thought about him since the last time they saw each other. Would she even recognize him now? As the time passed around Sesshoumaru, his power increased. He learnt of a new way to hide his true identities from the humans. It was a simple spell which hid his demon like features and turned them to those of a human.

The day went by and Sesshoumaru still remained pondering as to what he should do. Before he new it, darkness began to surround him as lights inside of different homes were being put out. All except one. Hers. Looking up towards the moon, he could tell it was almost the midnight hour, and yet she was still awake. His curiosity and want seemed to increase by the second.

Kagome could not sleep. Something within her just didn't feel right. The emptiness within her that she had felt since she last left _him_ returned. She could not deny that she still had feelings for him and she probably always would. That was the reason as to why she never attempted anything with another man. She knew she needed to move on, but it felt as if she was betraying herself...and she simply could not.

Getting out of her bed, she tip-toed down stairs making sure no one heard her leave. There was one last thing that she wanted to witness before she went to bed. Stepping outside, she walked past her door and then turned around, looking at where she had just come from.

Two startled eyes watched as Kagome stood outside of her house. Sesshoumaru wondered why she had come outside from her home. Had she felt his presence? He doubted it. He had done a pretty good job on concealing it so far. All he could do was watch as his beautiful angel stood in silence.

As the midnight hour came upon the land, the flowers wrapped around Kagome's doorway and wall began to open. They slowly bloomed, glowing a white color in the bright moonlight. Kagome smiled at their sight. She remembered the last time she had witnessed this. And now, it was all the more beautiful, even though their true glow was put down by the city lights and atmosphere, she was in awe at their sight. Even after all of these years, the flowers still continued to bloom and live on.

Sesshoumaru gasped as he watched the flowers bloom in the moonlight. She had kept the flower alive like he had asked her too. Did her coming to watch them bloom mean that she still cared? Did she still remember everything? His heart began to race in his chest like never before. It almost felt like it could explode at any second.

Kagome picked one of the flowers from the vines and held it in her hand. There was no challenge for her touching the flower this time. She could sense it somehow. Maybe it was because of the jewel, she did not know. Holding the flower in cupped hands, she stared down at it. Kagome felt tears forming in her eyes for unknown reasons. Maybe it was because of all the memories it brought back to her. All the memories of him.

He felt the scent of salt in the air. Was she crying? He became all the more confused about this situation. Why was she so sad all of a sudden. She seemed so happy to him when he saw her just this morning.

Pulling a few petals off of the flower, she held them up in the air. Kagome had once been told a story about the wind. Supposedly, it could carry messages across any distance to those you love. She wondered, could it carry messages across time as well. Closing her eyes she released the petals to the mercy of the gentle wind.

"I'll never forget...Sesshoumaru..." She whispered as she released them. Tears escaping from the sides of her closed lids.

Had his demon ears just betrayed him? He could not believe the words that had just been spoken from her lovely lips. He remembered, that was the last thing he had asked of her before she was gone. He too felt his eyes moisten all of a sudden. She did still care. Coming out of his hiding spot, he walked over towards the temple. Quickly running up the steps, he stopped as she came into view. His body frozen, unsure of what to do or say.

As Kagome opened her eyes, she felt another presence near by. One that felt so familiar to her, yet different. Looking over towards the entrance of the temple, she noticed a man standing there. He had white hair which reached up to his nape. His bangs gracefully falling over his eyes. They looked to be a dark golden color from where she was standing. A sort of sun-kissed caramel. He wore a business suit and looked to be a man of high class to her.

They both stood there silent and motionless. He could not tell whether she recognized him or not. He didn't expect her to. He was enchanted by the way her hair swayed back and forth in the wind, dancing like a river.

Kagome wondered who this man was, and exactly what it was he was doing here at this hour. There was just something about him that made her wonder. Her heart was racing by the second, searching for her answer.

"Im sorry," she spoke out, "Do I... know you?"

Her voice was soft and sweet. Soothing to him as always. He could not tear his eyes away from hers, and apparently neither could she. Sighing, he slowly nodded his head a simple 'yes' to her question. '_Please remember my angel.'_

That was impossible. She had never seen this man before in her life. And yet she felt as if her eyes were betraying her. Just then, a strong wind came flowing in his direction. Along with it, it brought a few white flower pedals. A small glow they had to them. The pedals landed just in front of the mans feet.

Sesshoumaru didn't seem to notice the pedals, but she most certainly had.

A loud gasp escaped her as she began to tremble. Eyes wide and watering up once again. Afraid to say the name that rested on the rim of her lips.

"...Sessh...Sesshoumaru?"

He answered her question with a loving smile. In one quick swipe of his hand, a new person stood in his place. The demon had come out once again. His white hair now floor length. His eyes turned their natural golden color once again, followed by two stripes on either side of his face and a crescent moon on his forehead. His ancient attire also returned with him.

"Kagome..."

Kagome stared at him speechless, not certain of what to say or do. She felt her heart pumping in her chest, faster and faster, never wanting to stop. Still crying, she ran over to where he stood. Sesshoumaru opened his arms for her and held her in a tight embrace, never wanting to let go now that he was reunited with her once again.

She sobbed onto his chest, taking in all of his warmth, his scent. It was all as she had remembered it years ago. Was this just a cruel dream she was being tortured with? It all seemed so impossible to be true.

"How is this possible?" She asked in between sobs.

"I stayed alive all of these years, hiding, waiting to see you again Kagome. I could not bear to be without you. And im sorry for making you leave. I was afraid.. I..."

Kagome place one finger over his lips silencing him. She understood what he was trying to tell to her.

"Apology accepted."

She stood on her tip-toes coming closer and closer towards his lips. She slowly brushed against them before they finally locked on into a passionate kiss. It had been so long since he had had such a sweet taste on his lips. She slowly parted her lips, allowing him to caress her tongue and she his. Not thinking twice, he did so. They remained like that for what seemed to be an eternity. Neither wanting to let go of the other, or their sweet kiss to end. Finally breaking apart, Kagome rested her head on his chest. She was breathing hard, attempting to recover from their last kiss. Sesshoumaru gave her little time however before they were once again intertwined.

"I've missed you so much." She said half panting.

"And I you, my love."

Kagome's eyes began to twinkle brightly at his comment. '_My love? He does love me...'_ Her grip on him became tighter and tighter as she whispered to him.

"I love you."

Sesshoumaru softly pecked her on the lips.

"And I love you, my angel"

satisfied, she rested her head on his chest once again. A large smile seemed to be almost glued on her face. She could not be any happier at the moment.

"You must tell me of everything that happened throughout your time!"

This time it was Sesshoumaru who brought his finger up and silenced her. He stared deep into her eyes, exploring her soul. Kagome nearly melted at his sight.

"We have all the time in the world."

Giggling, Kagome took hold of his hand and lured him inside of her home. Quietly shutting the door behind her.

The Moonlight Flower continued to bloom like never before in the presence of the midnight hour. Its glow was now brighter than ever before, lighting up the dark sky. And it would continue to do so until the end of time; it will continue to glow for all blossoming loves...whether it be yours, or mine. Reminding us to never lose hope on something you know to be right.

**The end?**

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Let me know what you guys think - .. And if you enjoyed this story I suggest reading my other one also, Once upon a December. Ill continue working on that one now that this one is complete.

W00t my first story finally complete. smiles

_**Love,**_

_**Fate's Princess...**_


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